Some Dreams do Come True
by Boombubble
Summary: After being lured onto the spaceship of the evil space pirate Kashunari, the Z-fighters return home to the Earth completely devestated... Not to mention inadvertently releasing the fabled Majin Buu in the process.
1. Chapter 1

-This story was something I was goaded into doing on a dare. I wasn't sure where I was headed with this at first, but once I began working on it, it took on a life of it's own. I'll admit DBZ is not one of my favorite Anime's, but the little drama with Gohan and Videl got me interested in the show again. My favorite DBZ fics to read are the one's that retell the story of how Gohan and Videl met and fell for each other through the authors eyes, and since I've only read two or three really good ones I decided that's what I'd do with mine. This story will probably start out like a dozen other fic's you've read, but it takes quite a few sharp and different turns rather quickly. This isn't a great piece of work, but I don't think it's all that horrible either. Hopefully a few of you will enjoy it. Enough from me, on with the show! 

Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ. 'Nuff Said.

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Some Dreams do Come True

Chapter One:

"I don't like this Chi-Chi," Piccolo muffed, concern evident in his voice.

"And what exactly don't you like about it Piccolo?" Chi-chi asked in her usual tone of voice. The defensive one ready to bite the head off of anyone who dared deify her. She frowned slightly, and continued to attack the mountain of dishes piled up in the sink, the causalities from that mornings breakfast.

"It's not one thing in particular, it's the big picture I'm worried about. Are you positive sending Gohan to school is in his best interest?"

"Of course it is! I know what's best for my son thank you very much!" Chi-Chi growled, annoyed with Piccolo's constant bickering over this subject the past few days. The only reason she tolerated it was because of Gohan's relationship with the Namek. After all, Gohan looked up to Piccolo like a second father, and the Namek was merely worried about Gohan's well being. Though Chi-Chi wasn't exactly thrilled with that concept, she learned to live with it for Gohan's sake. Not that she held any personal grudges towards Piccolo, she just didn't care for the thought of her children looking at anyone in that light except for their true father Goku. She'd be much more comfortable if they considered it more like an uncle/nephew type relationship. That's what Piccolo always acted like anyway. That one but-in-ski uncle most families seem to have that buts in, and tries to tell you how to raise your kids every time he feels the need to.

"Of course you do, I wasn't implying that you didn't," Piccolo said, hoping to sooth over the wound before he opened it. He had learned the hard way over the years that it was completely useless to get into a war of words with the wife of Goku. He'd only be leading himself to the slaughter if it came down to an all out battle in that department. "From what I've observed he's been doing great with home school. May I ask what's with this sudden change of heart where you feel it's best to send him to public school?"

Chi-chi sighed and dropped the bowl she'd been cleaning back into the soapy water, suddenly finding the clear blue sky outside the window more interesting. "I felt I needed to do something Piccolo. You've seen how down he's been since Goku died, even after all these years, and he really needs something to help bring a brighter outlook into his life. I don't think that it's only missing his father that's getting him down, I think it's partly my fault to. I've had a goal set up for him since the day he was born, and never really took a second thought to think he may ever want to do something different with his life. I've pushed him to hard, and I've kept him cooped up in here way to long. I wanted him to succeed so badly, I forgot to let him be a child every once in a while. He's seventeen years old and besides you, me, Goten, and occasionally Krillen when he drops by every once in a while he doesn't really have anybody. He's never really had any friends his own age, except for Dende, but he's the Guardian of Earth now for crying out loud! He needs a little more besides schoolbooks, and the occasional training outside in the woods! The only idea I could think up to get him outside into the real world was to send him to school."

Piccolo nodded, understanding her logic. "I guess it makes sense when you put it that way. I just worry about how he's going to handle himself around a large group of people when he's not use to it. I'm worried if things don't go well it will only accomplish throwing him into a deeper funk then he's already in."

"I know it'll be rough on him at first, but he'll adjust. Don't worry yourself too much Piccolo. Kami knows I can do enough of that for the both of us."

A small smirk crossed the Namek's lips. "Well, if it's all the same to you, I'm probably going to worry anyway."

In the meantime, the subject in question was eyeing himself in the bathroom mirror, a look of uncertainty and sadness in a pair of eyes that could only be described as black. He noted how his hair spiked a little wilder then usual this morning, but of course it was considering it was his first day of school and all. It was a well known fact that whenever a day arose where a good first impression was required, that anything and everything that could possibly go wrong will. Gohan examined the clothes he was wearing. Just a simple pair of red dress pants, and a loose fitting white T-shirt. He wanted to maintain as much of a sense of normalcy as he could possibly manage, and keeping his build secret from the prying eyes of others would go a long way to aid in that. He was relieved his mother didn't put up much of fight when he told her he didn't want to wear the fancy school clothes she wanted to pick out for him. She'd been surprising him about things like that as of late. He could remember back to his younger days when everything his mother said was law, and daring to break those laws held serious consequences. However, lately she'd been much more lenient and willing to listen to his wants and needs. For the first time in his life his mother was actually asking him what he wanted instead of telling him what he wanted.

Of course there was this school thing, but Gohan didn't expect to have a say in everything. Still, this was something he wished she would've listened to him about. Gohan drooped his shoulders, and looked towards his reflection for advice. "I don't know what I'm going to do. Mom thinks this is what's best for me, but I just don't know. I don't know how to act around other people! I've never even really known anyone my own age before, let alone have any idea how to interact with them! I'm going to make an ass out of myself, I just know it…"

Gohan sighed if defeat, accepting nothing short of a wish from the Dragon Balls was going to prevent this day from happening no matter how much he might dread it. He picked his bag up off the sink, and headed towards the kitchen to wish his mother goodbye, his head hanging the entire way. That was until something, rather someone, caught his eye while trekking through the hallway. A small smile crossed Gohan's lips at the sight of his baby brother passing by him.

"Hey Gohan!" Goten chirped cheerfully, the same smile plastered across his face that never seemed to leave it. "Are you going to school now?"

"Sure am squirt," Gohan said, as he ruffled Goten's hair. "You be good for Mom okay. If I come back, and find out you've been misbehaving then you're in big trouble!"

"Gotcha," Goten giggled, before darting off for the very bathroom Gohan had just left.

"You saved my life you know kid," Gohan whispered affectionately as soon as Goten was out of earshot. During his entire flight to school he let himself get lost in the old memories of how Goten did just that…

Six years ago

"It's my fault… It's all my fault," eleven-year-old Gohan repeated for the umpteenth time, as he slowly stumbled his way towards home. He just couldn't shake them. The memories of Cell, and his father… The Cell Games had been done and over with for five months now, but the dreams and images were so sharp and accurate it might as well have been yesterday. They drove themselves further and further into his heart, mind, and soul until they took complete control of him and slowly began to drive him insane. It never got any easier as time progressed like everyone had convinced him, things only grew worse. 

Goku had paid the ultimate sacrifice because of his stupid mistake. The one time Gohan let his Sayian heritage get the best of him, and it cost his father his life, and almost that of everyone else in the world in the process. Normally gentle and passive little Gohan let anger and bloodlust take control of him, and the thing that sickened him most was he enjoyed it. He loved every second of it… The latter moments of his fight with cell… Seeing the fear in his eyes, and the pain he inflicted on him with every blow. For the first time in his life he was indeed a true Sayian. At the time, he couldn't have been more proud of himself, and now he was ashamed of the alien blood that surged through his veins. The blood that for a few minutes transformed him into a cold-blooded killer. Never again, is what he vowed himself. He'd never give in to his Sayian urges again. Sadly, he knew there was only one way to accomplish that.

His father had chosen to remain dead for the safety of the Earth, considering just about every enemy they faced seemed to show up to defeat him. Gohan got to thinking about that, and that would be how he would justify the actions he was planning on taking in just a few minutes. As far as he knew now, he was the most powerful living being in that part of the universe, so it would only make sense for new evil to come to Earth hunting for him now wouldn't it? So, Gohan decided if that was the case then he should probably be dead himself.

A smirk crossed his face as he thought about the warm comforting arms of death. Finally, he'd pay for his actions, and finally be at peace with himself. No one would have to rely on his unworthy self anymore, nor would he have to worry about the weight of the world being placed on his shoulders. He had nothing to live for anyway… No reason, and in his mind he just flat out didn't deserve too. He just had to tell his mother good-bye before he went through with what he thought was in the best interest for the world, but mostly for his own selfish self.

Gohan stumbled into his home bruised and beat up from hours of tearing up Mother Nature's hard work, picking fights with mountains and trees. It was a simple enough plan. All he had to do was kiss his mother good-bye, and tell her he was going off to mediate or something. Then all it would take was a simple Ki blast aimed for his face. If it was strong enough to blow a mountain to pieces, then surely it wouldn't have any trouble taking his head off. 

Gohan headed towards the bedroom expecting to find his mother, but instead encountered several people he hadn't been expecting. Namely his grandfather the Ox King, Krillen, and Bulma. They all smiled at him, and parted out of his way so he could see his mother lying flat out across her bed. No one thought much of his appearance or where he had been, figuring he'd been out training like he had done many times to get his mind off of Cell and his father.

"Hey Gohan, it's about time you showed up! You've been gone for hours!" Krillen said cheerfully. "Why are you just standing there? Your mom has something to tell you." 

Confused, Gohan approached his mother who wore a sleepy smile on her face. The first thing Gohan noticed was her stomach, and that it wasn't nearly as big as it had been in recent months. 

"Come on Gohan, don't look so down," Chi-Chi scolded in a gentle manner, and then nodded her head towards a small basket crib lying on the bed next to her. "Come around to the other side, and meet your new baby brother."

"Baby brother?" Gohan gaped, completely forgetting that his mother was even pregnant. He walked around the bed slowly, and peered into the small basket. Inside he found a little version of his father with traces of tiny black hair on his scalp. The baby was staring up at the ceiling like it was the most interesting thing in the world, until his eyes feel upon Gohan. The baby smiled at him and stared, the same smile he'd become famous for later in his life.

"Go ahead and pick him up Gohan," Chi-Chi encouraged, noticing her son's awestruck hesitance. Gohan pulled the baby into his arms gently and slowly, studying the little life in his arms the entire time. "His name is Goten. I'm counting on you to be a big part of his life. Unfortunately he's never going to get to know his father… I know it's a lot to ask of you, but I'm hoping you could be some help in filling that void for him."

"Goten…" Gohan's heart sank when she mentioned he wouldn't ever know his father. That was his fault to after all… Gohan lowered his head to take a better look at little Goten presenting the little tyke with an opportunity he just couldn't pass up. Goten flung his little arm up and nabbed the collar of Gohan's Gi, unintentionally locking his older brother in a strangle hold as he tugged on the fabric tighter. Gohan gingerly pried the baby's fingers loose, using much more force then you should have to with a normal infant, while everyone else in the room was sent into laughing fits.

"Well, looks like Goten definitely inherited his father's grip," Krillen joked, noting how red Gohan's face had gotten.

Gohan shook the incident off, and resumed his inspection of his little brother. Yes, it was true he was the reason Goten would never know his father, at least Gohan placed that blame on himself. He owed this little guy something because of that. Gohan allowed a slight smile to cross his lips directed towards little Goten. Maybe he did have a reason to live after all.

********

Gohan had never seen so many people in one place in his entire life. Young people mostly the same age or slightly younger or older then Gohan filed through the hallways of Orange Star High School, seemingly unconcerned with the large number of people roaming through the building. Gohan envied those people, wishing he wasn't so nervous on his first day of public High School. At the very least that sea of humanity confirmed his suspicions that there truly were other members to this social class his mother and friends called teenagers. He hadn't encountered too many others before today. 

The first thing Gohan noticed after walking through the doors of the school was the Ki level floating in the air. Not the collective energy of the student body, but two Ki's in general that were impressively high for humans. One in particular that felt down right ridiculous for a human teenager. The strange thing about it was, whomever that Ki belonged to, they quickly lowered it not to long after Gohan's arrival. So low in fact, it now blended in perfectly with the rest of the students, leaving Gohan with little means to find out whom it belonged too. That was all right with him though. Finding him would give Gohan something to do during passing or free periods, or any other time he might get bored with his schoolwork.

Gohan lowered his Ki down to normal human level just in case. If whoever it was could suppress their Ki like that, then that person could probably sense it as well. That person most likely sensed Gohan's Ki the second he walked into the building, thus prompting whoever to lower theirs in response. If that was the case then Gohan certainly didn't want to be found out before he had a chance to identify the other party. Just on the outside chance whoever it was might not be friendly, and that thought was all the more reason to track him down. That was one of the interesting little abilities Gohan had picked up over the years, and this one he wasn't really sure how it came about. Somewhere along the way Gohan learned how to sense when certain fighters were suppressing their true power, probably picked up from knowing how to identify the other Z-sneshi's Ki's even when they were at low level. It drove Vegeta up the wall too, since the Prince of the Sayian's just couldn't master the same technique no matter how hard he tired. Sadly though, it only worked when he knew the person the Ki belonged to, so discovering the owner of that energy was going to be all that much more difficult. Still, a slight smile crossed the young half Sayian's lips. Difficult, but interesting none the less.

Room 234B. The location of his first class, if he could ever find it in this maze they called a high school. That's right, he had to find his locker first. He looked down at the sheet of paper with his schedule and everything on it that the lady at the front office had given him. Blue lockers No. 74. Gohan took a peek at the number on the locker directly to his right. 364. Sweat drop. At least they were blue, but it looked like he had yet some more walking to do. "I guess all I have to do is follow them on down until I get to No. 74."

Gohan readjusted his book bag over his shoulder, and proceeded down the hallway. He passed quite a few people on his way, but one young lady in particular caught his interested. In wasn't her looks that caught his attention, but later on closer inspection he would decide she actually was quite the looker. She wasn't all that flashy, normal height for a girl her age with blue eyes, and raven black hair tied into non-traditional pigtails draped over the front of her shoulders. It was her energy that caught his attention, and he quickly recognized her as the lesser Ki he'd felt when he arrived that morning. He already thought of it as impressively strong for a human, but slightly more so for a woman. Her Ki was at the very least as high as his mothers if not even slightly higher. 

Gohan stopped in his tracks, and eyed the girl as she walked by him. Apparently he was staring a bit too hard, for the girl noticed and looked back at him with a slight frown etched into her face. "Do you have a problem?!"

Gohan blushed bright red. "Oh! I'm sorry…" Gohan mumbled absently before walking off on his way rather quickly. 

  
The girl watched Gohan hustle down the hallway with a look of mild confusion on her face. "Weirdo."

The girl standing next to her eyed Gohan's backside for a second, and then looked back at her friend before nudging her with her elbow. "Videl! What the heck are you doing?! When you catch a cute guy looking at you, you don't ask him what his problem is!"

Videl blushed slightly. "I don't know what you're talking about Erasa! I don't care if he was cute or not, he still shouldn't have been staring at me! Now come on! I need to use the ladies room before class starts, and if I don't hurry I'm going to be late!"

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Gohan took a second to examine his first period teacher, while he double checked Gohan's schedule to confirm if he was in the right place or not. He was a tall balding man with thick glasses, but seemed nice enough when Gohan introduced himself. With a smile the teacher confirmed what Gohan had already known, and assigned him an end seat in the fourth row of the seven inclining rows of desks.

Someone in the fifth row in the desk just above Gohan's took an immediate interest in the new student. His chocolate brown eyes followed Gohan his entire climb up to his desk. Gohan noticed the boys gaze locked into him, and truthfully it made him just a bit nervous. Actually, he could tell half the class was watching him, but there was something much different and unsettling residing in this one's gaze. Gohan felt like his eyes were studying him, or sizing him up for something. Once Gohan arrived at his desk, curiosity got the better of him, and he looked back at the boy sitting behind him right in the eyes. He was a normal enough looking kid with dark brown hair, bushy eyebrows, and wearing a plain white T-shirt with a pocket located on the left side of his chest. To Gohan's surprise the boy simply smiled, and waved at him slightly. Gohan smiled nervously, and waved back before quickly taking his seat. What Gohan didn't see was the boy frown with uncertainty at the back of Gohan's head.

Man that was weird. The way that kid was staring at me. Something is definitely off about him… I don't know, it is my first day here, so maybe he's just curious about me. Gohan shrugged it off, and went to examining the rest of his surroundings. Finding nothing much of relative interest, Gohan decided to flip through the textbook the teacher had assigned him before taking his seat. He wasn't particularly interested in anything he found inside, so how he didn't pick up on the large Ki approaching from his right he may never know. 

"Oh, it's you again," a commanding female voice said from overhead. 

Gohan's head shot up to find the same girl he had encountered in the hall not that long ago. The same exact look on her face to as a matter of fact. She wasn't exactly wearing a frown, more of a serious expression really. The deceiving part about her was her eyebrows, which were pushed low over her eyelids making her appear like she was angry all the time. Gohan smiled nervously, blushing ever so slightly. "Oh, hello there."

Videl merely hummed in response before taking her seat. "Look… I'm sorry if I sounded a little hostile back there. I didn't mean to come by as unfriendly or anything."

"That's good to hear," Gohan laughed nervously. Strange, she didn't appear all that warm now either. Little did Gohan know that was the way she usually came across to people meeting her for the first time. "I'm sorry too, I wasn't meaning to stare at you or anything… It's just that I sensed something strange from you, and I…" 

Videl's brow squinted suspiciously. "You what?"

Stupid, stupid, stupid! Gohan threw his hand over his mouth, as he mentally berated himself. You've been in school less than an hour, and the first thing you let fly out of your mouth…

"I asked you a question! What do you mean you sensed something from me?!" Videl demanded, interrupting Gohan from his self-scolding.

"Um, well I…"

"Relax Videl," a calm male voice chimed from below them. Gohan looked down at the boy. He was a well-built youth with long blonde hair, and a forehead that clearly showed his skull protruded out way to far for his own good. Gohan thought he remembered hearing that the boy's name was Sharpner. "He probably just recognized you were Hercule's daughter. That's the way everyone seems to react when they first meet you."

"What, wha, what?! Your dad is Hercule Satan?!"

Videl raised an eyebrow, and glared at Gohan as if he'd gone nuts. "Yeah, so what? I know my dad's famous and everything, but it's nothing to freak out like that over."

"Oh, sorry about that," Gohan snickered, regaining his composure. He forced a weak smile, while chocking on his own vomit just thinking about what he was going to say next. "I wasn't expecting to meet the daughter of the man who saved the world from Cell… It's nice to meet you Videl."

"Huh? Oh yeah… You too, uh… Um…"

"Gohan."

"Gohan… Sure, whatever."

After things settled down and the bell rang to signal the start of class, Gohan got to thinking about his newly found discovery. The daughter of Hercule Satan! No way! I don't see the resemblance at all… She's really cute, she must get her looks from her mother. She's a lot stronger than her father too, so unless he's gotten a whole lot stronger since the Cell Games then he obviously hasn't been training her. At least I know she's one of the Ki's I sensed when I arrived here today. Now if I can only discover who owns that other enormous energy I felt… Well, at least it should be kind of fun trying to find out. 

Gohan smiled at the prospects of this, as he listened intently to the teacher as he began to speak to the class. Gohan might have been adept at sensing a person's energy, but it was a little more difficult to feel somebody's eyes as they feel on you. There for Gohan was unaware of the two sets of eyes watching him closely, as he stared ahead watching what the teacher was scribbling on the blackboard. One a set of soft blue eyes gazing at him from his right, and one pair of hard brown glaring at him from his backside. Curiosity glimmered in all four eyes, just different reasons. 

********

Gohan's first week of school went about as he expected it to. It was absolutely horrible. With the exception of his history teacher he wasn't particularly fond of any of his other educators. With all the advanced classes he was in the homework was outrageous, but considering he found little challenge in any of it, that wasn't as much of a factor as it would've been for most other students. It was the principal of the thing, nobody likes homework. Gohan in particular was sick of it, seeing enough of it from his mother over the years to last him two lifetimes. To make matters worse, Gohan was quickly building the reputation of being a bit of a dork around campus with some of the guys, but most others completely ignored him since he'd been so quiet. Not that he had a problem with the later part. He didn't care if the whole damn school looked past him like he didn't exist, but the snickering and snide-remarks his sensitive ears had been picking up from some of his classmates were beginning to get under his skin. Those people sickened him to the highest degree. They hadn't known him for more then a week, and had no means of knowing who he really was or what he'd been through and experienced. Yet, here they were already trying to brand him as an outcast just because he wore his hair a different way, or didn't present himself the way the so-called social elite had decided was in or cool. Absolutely ludicrous. Stupid. Senseless. Welcome to high school Gohan. 

Gohan eventually realized he'd have to suck it up, and learn to live with it. He'd have to learn to co-exist with these teenagers who were stuck in a mental stage he had grown out of when he was twelve or thirteen. Maybe that was a bad thing, but it wasn't Gohan's fault fate had placed in front of him the type of childhood he had to endure, forcing him to mature much faster then most other's of his age. The worst part of it all was the girls there. He lost count how many of them he caught giggling at him, staring at him through the corner of his eye, or whispering behind his back. He just couldn't understand what they found so funny about him. Maybe he just had a funny looking face that made girls laugh or something, or maybe it was his hair.

Finding little challenge in his schoolwork, the only thing peaking his interest at the moment was finding the origin of that Ki he sensed on his first day at school. He'd be lying to himself if he said he wasn't frustrated that it was taking him so long to put a lock on his target. His pride as a half Sayian was at stake here. He hadn't sensed much of it the first couple days after he first picked up on it, so at the time he thought maybe he'd imagined it, or he might've been picking up someone passing by the school or something. But then on Wednesday morning he felt it again, and one more time later in the day. Since then he'd been sensing it flaring on and off about half a dozen times each day. If Gohan didn't know any better he'd swear whomever that energy belonged to was playing with him. It was a little unnerving to say the least… Especially since he had to consider the fact that whoever it was just might be dangerous… Whatever the case might be, Gohan was determined to end this little game of Ki tag as soon as possible. He was sick and tired of being it.

Speak of the devil. Just as Gohan was thinking about him, he felt a large flow of Ki flare up again, and disappear almost as quickly. It was close by too. Gohan searched around frantically for the culprit, but it could've been anyone amongst the sea of kids burrowing their way through the halls. Gohan cursed ready to concede defeat again, when his first real clue came into view. The name of that clue was Ryo. Ryo was the boy Gohan had met on his first day of school, the one who'd stared a hole through him so attentively on his arrival. Gohan sensed something from him right away, and Ryo had been his prime suspect ever since. Gohan was nearly convinced it was him, but he lacked enough proof to convince himself just yet. Right now Ryo's Ki was measuring at the same level as most of the student body, but then again so was Gohan's at the moment. Ryo being in the same area as where Gohan had felt the Ki surge just moments ago was the first real hard evidence Gohan had been presented with. Maybe this was Ryo's little way of saying I'm here now try and catch me.

Gohan glared at Ryo to see if he would make any kind of move to tip his hand, or hint that he was in fact the man he was looking for. Ryo gave him nothing but a bit of a cross look as if to ask why the heck are you looking at me like that? Gohan slapped his head as a form of scolding himself for being so obvious before heading off towards history class. As he walked away, he felt the same Ki rise up again from directly behind him. Gohan whirled around quickly, but found no one there. A small smile forced it's way to Gohan's lips before he headed off on his way. "I'll get you yet… Just wait and see… I'm going to win this game."

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Lunchtime. Gohan grumbled in disgust at the pathetic pile of slop the woman had dumped on his tray, and called it food. Gohan poked at the meat with his finger just to make sure it was dead. He'd been forced to eat twice as much food for breakfast since he began school to make up for the lack of an adequate lunch. There just wasn't any way for him to eat his fill at lunchtime without drawing any unwanted attention to himself. Offering a Sayian a plate of gruel like this, even when it was edible, was like trying to give a thimble of water to a man who'd been lost in the desert for a week. 

Gohan shook his head at just one more little adjustment he'd have to make, as he moved to search for a place to sit. He'd been lucky enough to find an empty section at a table where he sat alone every day up until now. No such luck this day. He took a little to much time getting to the lunchroom that afternoon, dooming him to the dreaded last kid in line status. By the time he weeded his way through the line all that was left were several vacancies that were too dangerously close to other breathing beings for his liking. Close enough it might demand that ever-dreaded human social interaction he'd been trying his best to avoid. At least until he sharpened his social skills to a point where he wouldn't make a fool out of himself every time he opened his mouth. Most of the student body had already stamped 'dork' on his forehead, and he certainly didn't want to do anything to strengthen that image in anyone's mind.

"Hey Gohan, you want to sit with us?" a slightly gruff but still oddly sweet sounding voice called out to Gohan, as he roamed around the lunchroom aimlessly searching for what she had just offered him. Of course Gohan already knew he was going to see Videl once he turned around as much from her Ki as the now familiar sound of her voice. She smiled slightly, her eyebrows manning their usual posts right above her eyes just in case she felt the need to frown at will. Leave it to Videl to always be prepared to shoot someone the death glare.

Gohan was a second away from taking her up on her offer when he noticed someone else sitting across from her. Namely Sharpner, and judging by the way he was glaring at Gohan it didn't make him feel welcome at all. "Thanks, but no thanks Videl. I appreciate the offer, but I don't think everybody present wants me around. I'll see you later."

Videl didn't have to dwell on what he meant very long. As Gohan ventured off on his quest for a secluded place to eat in peace, Videl shot Sharpner a none to flattering look. 

"Why are you looking at me like that for Videl?" Sharpner asked nonchalantly, enveloped in his typical aurora of arrogance. "I saved us, and you know it! Did you really want to sit there and watch some dork stuff his face full of food?" With that Sharpner shoveled another fork of what passed for food, at least according to the school board, into his mouth.

The brow above Videl's left eye rose slightly, but other then that the scowl still remained. "Now that you mention it no, but I'm sitting here with you anyway aren't I?"

Eureka. Gohan finally stumbled across a spot that seemed deserted, the nearest body sitting a good five seats down. He sat down and went to eating his meal uncharacteristically slow. He didn't want to revisit that little scene he had endured his first day when about twenty-five other kids stared at him as he engulfed his food, and then stared at him some more like they were afraid he was going to inhale them next.

"Mind if I join you?" an oddly soothing male voice asked from Gohan's backside. Before Gohan could reply, the boy he had come to know as Ryo, was taking the seat across from him. A small smirk crossed his lips underneath those brown eyes of his, burning with something closely resembling curiosity. Unlike Videl, Ryo caught Gohan off guard. The boy didn't really talk much, and his Ki was oddly hard to pick up on. It was on the same level as most of the normal students, but something remained oddly distorted about it. If Ryo truly was who Gohan expected him to be, then that just might explain things. Unfortunately he had no way of knowing unless he came out and said something, or slipped up with his energy some how. His new trait to sense people suppressing their Ki still had some bugs to work out. The oddest being he couldn't pick up on it from Ki's at extremely low levels. He had no idea why that was, it was just the way it worked. He couldn't tell if Ryo was hiding all that energy he'd been sensing inside of him or not.

"Sure," Gohan replied after the fact.

A couple of minutes passed in silence before a casual, slightly uneasy conversation started up. Mostly about the both of them being rather quiet and elusive around school, and other things that were typically normal. However, that sense of uneasiness only grew as time went by as they both eyed each other, like they were sizing the other up for whatever reason. Gohan picked up on this and every other little thing off about him, but little did he know that Ryo noticed the exact same thing in him. The bell rang signaling the end of their lunch period some time later. The two parted ways without as much as a good-bye, and Gohan walked towards his next class with a new sense of confidence and curiosity. Now more then ever he was convinced Ryo was the guy he'd been looking for.

----------

Free period. A normal student's favorite time of day, but just another daily annoyance for the young Demi-Sayian. He needed ways to keep himself occupied during school, not another forty-five minutes to sit around and be bored. Then again maybe it wasn't that bad, because it allowed him some time to check out the school library. It was mostly filled with encyclopedia's and other reference books, and housed very little of the science fiction and fantasy novels Gohan enjoyed reading and counted on to help pass the time of many lonely nights at home. Gohan guessed they didn't deem those as *educational*. On the bright side, the library was home to many detailed history and geography books that proved more than an adequate substitute. Gohan had always been fascinated with the world he lived in, and the rich history of it that led up to the modern age he lived in. It didn't matter whether it was a detailed article about the wildlife of the tropical jungles of Africa, the history of the ancient shoguns of Japan, the native tribes of Central America, or the ever awe inspiring legends of King Arthur and mid-evil Europe, he loved every bit of it. He wanted to know everything about the Earth that his brain could possibly absorb, and hey why not? He'd already saved it once from oblivion, and would most likely be called upon to protect it again somewhere down the road, so me might as well know as much as he could about this blue sphere of mostly water he'd been training so hard to protect. 

"If Ryo is the guy I've been sensing, then he's doing a great job hiding his Ki from me," Gohan said absently, as he examined the cover of a book on Egypt he'd just removed from the shelf. "And if he is, then how in the world did he learn to control it? There's not to many people I know of on this planet that know how to control their Ki, and you have to be pretty strong if you do. You don't exactly wake up one morning, and decide I'm going to start throwing my life energy around. I wonder where he learned how… And how strong is he exactly? And why can't I catch him the act?! Maybe my senses are getting rusty… Man, Vegeta's going to have a fit if I don't find out soon. I knew I never should've told him. I just know I'm going to hear that Sayian honor speech from him again if I don't come up with some proof fast. Oh, well. No point in worrying about it now I guess."

Gohan opened his book, and began reading as he wandered back to the table he'd picked out earlier, leaving his book bag there as a marker. It was most likely ill advised for Gohan to be reading while walking. He wasn't paying much attention at all to where he was going, nor did he notice the young lady trying to get his attention as he passed by her. That was he didn't notice her until she yelled loud enough Gohan would've heard her back at his home in the mountains.

"GOHAN! DON'T IGNORE ME, I'M TALKING TO YOU!"

"What?!" Gohan grunted, breaking out of his trance. He found Videl parked at the table he had just walked by, starring daggers at him. "Oh, hey Videl! What's up?"

"What do you mean what's up?!" Videl growled. Gohan thought he imagined smoke coming out of her ears. "I don't like being ignored Gohan! What's your problem anyway?! Do you think you're to good to associate with the likes of me?!"

"No, it's nothing like that at all!" Gohan stuttered, dancing around in a panic. He quickly took the seat across from her, determined on pleading his case. "I wasn't ignoring you, I just didn't notice you I swear! I was caught up in what I was reading, and kind of oblivious to everything around me."

"I see," Videl huffed as she calmed down considerably, but seemed no less angry. "I guess I can understand that, I know how I can get when I get caught up in a good book. Still, I wonder about you. You hardly say anything in class, and I never see you associate with anyone. Do you just not like people in general or something, and if so am I being a burden on you right now?"

"No, it's nothing like that! I swear I just didn't hear you! I'm sorry if I've been acting a little unsociable, but I still feel kind of out of place here. I've lived out in the country all my life with rather limited contact with other people, especially kids my own age. I'm still not sure how to act quite yet. I swear I'm not stuck up, or unsocial or anything. Please believe me, most people around here think I'm a dork already, and I don't need another one mad at me because she thinks I'm a jerk! I can live with it if you don't like me, but please dislike me for the right reasons!"

Videl chuckled softly, allowing a small smile to wrinkle her otherwise stern expression. "No, I don't think you're a jerk Gohan, but you definitely are a dork. Don't get me wrong because that's not necessarily a bad thing. You've seen most of the so-called *social elite*, or what passes for it around here. Trust me, you don't want to be like them. To tell you the truth I don't really dislike you just yet, you haven't given me any reason to up to this point. Keep it that way, and we'll get along just fine."

"That's good to hear," Gohan sighed with relief. "Say Videl…" Gohan started, but paused briefly to rethink the wording to his next question. He didn't want to use the term friendly to describe her, and he certainly didn't want to say anything to set off that hair trigger temper of hers either. She'd never been openly rude or hostile towards him, even during their first encounter in the hall, but on the other hand her attitude wasn't exactly what he'd call hospitable. She was somewhere in between, friendly or hostile depending on the situation and whatever mood struck her. "Why have you been bothering to talk to me?…"

Videl frowned slightly, and Gohan mentally slapped himself. That came out all wrong, and he would've been better off if he had gone with what he had planned to say in the first place. "Well, if me trying to talk to you is a problem for you, then I have no problem stopping!"

"Ack I'm sorry, that came out all wrong! What I meant is that most of the other kids here pretty much ignore me. Your about the only person I've met in school that has actually been decent to me, and hasn't acted like they felt they had to." Not to mention your personality doesn't exactly strike me as warm and friendly… At least at first, but she doesn't seem all that bad now that I've gotten use to her, unless you get under her skin of course. I guess you do have to get to know people first before you judge based off only your first impression, Gohan thought to himself. Of course he didn't dare say that aloud to Videl.

"Oh, no reason really. I'm not as cold as I seem, but I don't warm up to people that easily either. I guess part of it is because I know what you're going through. I wasn't always miss popularity you know…" Videl smirked slightly. "And I'll admit I am kind of curious about you."

Gohan countered with a small smile of his own. "Curious about me? Whatever for?"

"Well, I've learned from experience that quiet people usually have interesting things to say, if I can squeeze it out of 'em that is. They keep a lot of things pent up inside since they don't go yapping to everyone who'll listen every time their dog gets a flea. Unlike other people I know." Videl got to thinking about several people in particular, Erasa being at the top of that list. "You in particular seem to have a lot your hiding inside, and I want to know what."

"Oh really," Gohan gulped, trying to think up anything to say to change the subject. "Wait, you weren't always miss popularity? I find that hard to believe, you seem like a sweet enough girl to me."

Videl's cheeks reddened slightly, but she otherwise shook the compliment off. "Oh that… Look, it's nothing I like to talk about. That's nobody's business but my own. Well, I better be going. I've got some business I have to take care of before class starts. It was nice talking to you Gohan."

"You too. Good-bye Videl…" Gohan wasn't sure why, or even aware he was doing it at first, but he found himself watching Videl as she made her way out of the library. Not staring really, just sort of watching. He felt compelled to for some reason he couldn't quite decide on. The realization of what his eyes were doing didn't really dawn on him until Videl looked back at him with her usual not so happy look. Gohan blushed a deep red, returning his gaze to his book in a pitiful attempt to play innocent. You've got to be more careful Gohan! She almost bit your head off the last time she thought you were staring at her! Except this time I was kind of looking at her but… I need to learn to keep my eyes to myself! This is what happens when you socialize with people! Isn't there a hole somewhere I can crawl into where nobody will bother me?! Oh man, I had no idea being a teenager would be this hard!

Videl thought she had felt Gohan's eyes on her again. She turned herself around just in time to see Gohan blush, and try to hide himself in that book he was reading. Videl put on her best scowl just in case Gohan decided to take another peek back up at her. However, what she made sure he didn't see was the small smile that crossed her lips as she exited the library.

********

"HA! YA!" Videl grunted as she kicked the hell out of the leather covered training bag, her usual sparring partner for the night, that was set up in the large gym her father had installed in the Satan Mansion. One of several throughout the house actually, this one being her own personal gym set up conveniently three doors down from her bedroom. As for the other two, one was more of a showpiece for her father to show off to his students and guests, and the other his own personal playpen that no one besides him, even Videl, was allowed to enter. 

This is where Videl took out all of her frustrations. She visualized every obstacle that had ever been placed in front of her during her young life in that bag, the face of everyone who'd ever wronged her or said she wasn't good enough, every criminal she stomped in aid of the Satan City police, and everyone of the above that might get in her way down the road. She kicked and punched at it for all she was worth until it was reduced to nothing but dust. A feat that use to take hours in her younger days, which now took only a few minutes at best. Her normal ritual at the end of her daily training. When she was through she'd just put up another one from her seemingly endless supply, so it would be ready for the next night.

It wasn't that Videl didn't enjoy her training, but it wasn't like she had much else going on in her life despite her so mentioned *community service* for the police. She didn't have too many friends, well true friends anyway. Most of her so-called friends were merely suck-ups or airheads clinging on to her just so they could say they were close personal friends with the daughter of Hercule, the man who saved Earth from Cell. 

That thought alone brought back some old painful memories that caused Videl to kick at her target a little harder. Those people made her sick. A lot of them were the same kids who use to tease her for the way she dressed, made fun of her pigtails, and laughed at her for just about everything else they could think up. Not to mention most of them were afraid of her. Even as young as the age of eight she could beat up most of the boys on the schoolyard. That made them leave her alone to a certain extent, but that didn't stop all the teasing or the cruel gossip going around behind her back. Things would get so awful at times, even tough-minded Videl was sent home crying into the soothing arms of the mother. Then one day when she was nine, all of a sudden her mother wasn't there to run to anymore. That's when she decided to throw all of her focus and dedication into fighting. It's also when she decided she was never going to cry again unless whoever it was over was truly worth her tears, and that's a promise to herself she'd kept to this very day.

Then of course, came the day her father won the World Marital Arts Tournament, and a few months later defeated an alien monster named Cell. After that, all of a sudden he was world famous, and suddenly everyone wanted to be her friend. It sickened her at first and she wanted nothing to do with it, but eventually she decided to just accept it and adjust to all the attention. Now it had simply fallen into an everyday routine that Videl tolerated more then anything.

There were a couple people around school she hung out with from time to time, but she wouldn't exactly call them friends. Erasa was nice enough, but she was kind of an airhead, and got on Videl's nerves a lot. They were just too different. There was Sharpner as well but… Sharpner was just Sharpner. He was the mere picture of arrogance and egotism, much like her father, and they were two things she despised about him. She had to save all of her love and patience for her old man, and that just didn't leave any room for her to be able to tolerate old Sharpner for very long.

The only thing close to a real friend she had was a boy named Ryo, but even he was more of an in-school acquaintance. Outside of school, it was pretty much her and an occasional sparing partner at the gym, but most nights it was still usually a punching bag. It wasn't that she didn't want friends, or wished not to associate with anyone. She merely had a difficult time finding people she could relate to. Truthfully, she didn't really fit in with any of the crowd anyway. She was too much of a tomboy to fit in very well with the rest of the girls, and too much of a lady to put up with the immaturity and brashness of most of the guys. Other then that, she couldn't find anyone who liked her just for her, and not because of who her father happened to be. There were sometimes when she thought about giving up on people in general, but every once in a while someone would come along to change her point of view. Ryo had accomplished that to some degree, and then there was him…

Videl smiled as her thoughts wandered to one person that had caught her attention. That Gohan boy. There was definitely something different about him, she could sense it right away, and she was determined to find out what. She had a good feeling she was going to have some fun figuring it out along the way.

End.

-Oh boy, pretty basic stuff for right now. Chapter two's pretty much going to be about Gohan adjusting to life in school. He vows to himself that he's going to keep as low a profile as he possibly can… So of course he manages to create hundreds of dollars worth of school damage, gets into a fight, and nearly gets suspended from school the process. Ah… And mother said school would be a blast!


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

One Week Later

Gohan was certain of it now. That Ki he'd been sensing was definitely Ryo's. Now his only concern was the full extent of his powers. He wasn't anywhere near Gohan's level of course, but his energy was down right remarkable for a human. Though he was afraid to go that far at first, he compared it to that of Vegeta's during his first arrival on Earth, and he still seemed to be masking some of it. Now the only questions that mattered were how high did it go, and how the hell did a human gain that kind of power? And do it so young?! And if he was even human at all? What was his game if any, and just who the hell was he?! 

Gohan was delighted with his discovery, but somewhat disappointed he'd discovered him by accident, though he already had a general idea it was him. One thing was clear about him, and that was that Ryo was damn good at controlling his Ki. Even for a Sayian it took a great deal of concentration, on a sub-conscious level anyway, to suppress one's energy. Just the smallest exertion of energy could send your Ki level flying. That's exactly what happened to Ryo.

It happened one day during gym class. They were running the mile when a fairly big boy named Brokowski got a little too carried away with his showboating, and smacked right into Ryo forcing him to raise his Ki to keep from getting plowed. It wasn't a drastically high increase, but it was just enough to tip Gohan off. Gohan knew that little bump probably had little affect on Ryo, probably the equivalent of a gnat flying into his face, but Ryo took a dive anyway just for show. Brokowski was much larger then Ryo after all. Ryo obviously had much more experience handling himself around other people then Gohan did, and knew how to act to make himself seem like a normal teenager when he most certainly wasn't. Gohan thought it best to make a habit out of watching how he handled himself, thinking he could learn a thing or two from him. Gohan had already blundered several times at keeping his abilities secret. Like the one day he lifted the principals car in the air with one hand to retrieve his pen that had rolled underneath… With a good dozen or so of his schoolmates looking on. He'd certainly have to be more careful in the future, and learn to think before he acted. He never had to worry about hiding his powers before he enrolled in school.

Gohan figured if Ryo knew how to suppress his Ki, then he would most likely know how to sense it as well. That might explain all the funny looks and stares he'd been getting from the boy since his arrival at Orange Star High School. Ryo had probably been wondering the exact same things about Gohan that Gohan had been wondering about him. Still, Gohan was unsure, and decided to get to know the boy a little better. There was that lingering concern in the back his mind that Ryo just might be dangerous, or if he wasn't, he may just be someone Gohan could relate too.

So Gohan did just that, he started to get to know this mysterious boy who sat in back of him during first period. Though he was shy and quiet at first, Gohan soon found Ryo to be rather friendly and good natured, and he was taking a fast liking to the young man. Still, he remained just a bit suspicious just in case, but all things considered he had a strong feeling those doubts were ever going to be founded. As it turned out, the two of them had a lot in common. Ryo was in most of the same advanced classes Gohan was in, and was about the only person Gohan had met so far that he could talk to who was on the same intellectual level that he was. Ryo also had been branded with the reputation of being a *Cute Dork* around school much like Gohan had built, meaning cute to the ladies and a dork to the guys. Though Gohan had a slight problem with that, Ryo didn't seem to care at all. In fact, he took it upon himself to explain the social ladder to the relative newcomer to the teenaged world, as they ate their lunch that day. 

"You see Gohan, there are three basic social classes that make up the student body of our school. One of course is the Jocs, preps, and etc. The basic *in-crowd*, if you want to use a worn out cliché, that most everyone strives to be a part of or at least be accepted by. Then of course there are your basic nerds and geeks, which I say again there's nothing wrong with being a part of. Then finally, there are people like us, or dorks as I've heard people like Sharpner so cleverly refer to us. We're kind of in between everyone, your typical social outcasts. We're not nerds, but we don't fit in with the so-called cool crowd for one reason or another. Usually we're to quiet or maybe to intelligent, or maybe there's some other little difference that prevents us from being accepted by our peers. At least that's the way I've observed things."

"So I see," Gohan said, as he looked around at some of the people surrounding him. "To tell you the truth I think I'm just fine with being a dork. I have nothing against most of the people I've met here, but some of them seem so strange. What's all that junk in Shay's hair?"

A small smirk attacked Ryo's lips. "Probably more moose and hairspray then actual hair. To tell you the truth I think he bathes in it. There's actually a ten foot hole in the o-zone layer right above the bathroom in his house."

Gohan laughed, nearly chocking on the fork full of spaghetti he had just shoved into his face. 

"But you are right about one thing. I'm perfectly happy with being a dork myself. It's a harsh word, but they need to call us something I guess."

Gohan's brow lowered slightly. "Couldn't they have come up with a better name?"

"Don't think of it as a bad thing, and just take it as a compliment," Ryo laughed.

"You always have a unique take on everything don't you Ryo?" A female voice jeered, clearly amused by Ryo's speech. Gohan looked up to find Videl standing next to him holding a lunch tray in her hand.

"Not everything, just what I pick up on here and there."

"You mind if I join you?" Videl asked, as she sat down without bothering to wait for their approval. Luckily for Gohan she, nor anybody else including Gohan himself, noticed him blush as she sat down. 

Ryo raised his eyebrow. "Like we had a choice in the matter?"

An evil smirk found Videl's lips. "Now that you mention it no. It's good to see you still know your role Ryo."

"Well of course! No one would dare cross the great Videl Satan! So what prompted you to grace us with your presence your highness?"

"I needed some air, and to swat a few dozen pairs of lips off my butt!" Videl stated flatly, wearing a bit of a frown. "Normally I wouldn't even bother sitting with those guys all the time, but every time I try to move to a different spot they just stalk me to wherever else I might try to go."

Ryo smiled inquisitively. "So, in other words… You figured if you sat with us, they wouldn't bother you right? Even if you are Videl Satan, not a one of them is going to risk being seen near a couple of dorks like us even if it is just to be close to you."

Videl face faulted slightly. "No, I didn't mean it that way! Though I will admit I hoped they wouldn't follow me if I came over here, but I had other reasons! Frankly, I'm looking for a little intelligent conversation for a change. I get sick of hearing everyone going on about their hair or their biceps."

"Well, then you came to the right place. Trust us, we don't care about any of that."

Gohan listened in as they conversed like that for another minute or two, unsure if he should interject himself into their conversation or not. Deciding against it, he simply watched them as they talked, most of his focus on Videl. He didn't really mean to, but he had to watch one of them, and he found Videl slightly easier on the eyes then Ryo was. Apparently he was looking a little too hard, and Videl noticed him. Videl inched her head towards him, wearing what was now her all to familiar half frown. "You need something Gohan?"

"What? Oh, no!" Gohan blushed feverously, realizing he'd been staring. "So you two know each other huh?"

"Sadly, yes," Ryo replied quickly.

Videl shot him a look that bordered along the lines of threatening and playful. "You know if you were anybody else, or if I thought you were serious I would've put your lights out by now!"

"Though I may not show it on the outside, I assure you I'm trembling on the inside."

"Interesting," Gohan whispered to himself. From what he'd observed of him so far, Ryo was a rather quiet individual, and seemed rather uncomfortable when dealing with most people. Now here he was, rather smugly, trading potshots with one of the most popular and most feared girls in the entire school. Strange indeed.

"You better be," Gohan heard Videl say before she turned her attention back to him. "Now what's up with you Gohan? You haven't mumbled more than three words since I sat down, and all you've done is sit there and stare at me."

"Wh-What?!" Gohan went red, unsure if it was because she was talking to him, or because she had caught him staring at her. Either way he decided panicking was the best course of action. Come on, I wasn't exactly staring! I was looking but… Ah, who am I kidding, I was staring! I'm just not sure why…

"Why are you so quiet anyway Gohan?" Videl glared at him almost maniacally as she continued her interrogation. "Your hiding something aren't you? Some kind of deep-seated secret you don't want anyone to find out? I know you are, come on spill it!"

"No, I'm not hiding anything!" Gohan insisted, finding solace in the fact that his initial instinct to panic was founded. It's not possible! She can't possibly have any idea what I really am can she?! Of course not, there's no way! I mean I've done a good job of keeping my powers hidden, of course I did screw up a couple of times, but nothing serious! Get a hold of yourself Gohan, she's got to be kidding you. Isn't she?…

Gohan refocused on Videl, who showed nothing but confidence and determination in her face. "Oh, you are hiding something. I can see it in your face. I know there's something different about you Gohan, and I'm going to find out what. Whether you like it or not, it's just a matter of time."

"If you say so Videl," Gohan gulped, suddenly wanting to be anywhere but there. "Ah, look at the time! Does it ever fly by when your having fun! I better get going, see you guys later!"

"But we still have twenty minutes," Videl informed him. Gohan didn't even hear her as he shot out of his seat, and darted out of the cafeteria. Videl stared after Gohan until he was out of sight, and then looked back at Ryo with a bit of confusion mixed in with her normally stern expression. "Man, I didn't mean to scare him off, I was only kidding. I didn't expect him to freak out like that. Do you know what's up with him?"

Ryo shrugged his shoulders. "I dunno."

"Hmm…" Videl peered back in the direction Gohan had just disappeared and smirked. I knew he was hiding something. You don't sweat that much when your not. Run away all you like Gohan. I'm going to catch you sooner or later.

Gohan was a bundle of nerves for the rest of that afternoon, wondering if Videl did and just what exactly she could sense about him if she did. He spent the better part of the rest of that school day avoiding her at all cost, avoiding any type of eye contact, conversation, or anything else for that matter. It didn't simplify matters much that she was obviously tailing him around, and she was very clearly getting irritated that he was so obviously ducking her. He wasn't sure if she was mad that he was avoiding her, or if she was angry that he noticed her watching his every move.

She can't possibly know anything about you Gohan, Gohan thought, as he fiddled with the combination on his locker. She was probably just kidding with you, and you took it the wrong way. Yeah, that's got to be it, or maybe she really does sense something from you and just doesn't know what it is. She is amazingly strong for a human, so maybe she can sense Ki too? No, that can't be it. I almost forgot who her father was. The only energy Hercule knows how to release is when he farts or burps. I guess I just have to keep one step ahead of her until she loses interest in me. I just have to keep my cool, and try my best not to do anything to show her my actual strength.

Gohan had clicked on the final number of his combination when the exact person he'd been debating himself over just happened to make her presence known to him. "What's up Gohan?"

Startled, Gohan straightened up in attention, effectively tearing his locker door off the hinges. Gohan sweat dropped as he stared at the object in his hand, while Videl gawked at him with a look of pure shock on her face. "Oops… I guess the hinges on these old lockers must be pretty rusty… Ha, ha."

Videl glared at him with her usual half-frown. "This section of lockers were just installed the beginning of this semester!"

"Oh, is that a fact?" Gohan said through thin lips. "I guess I don't know my own strength then…"

"Yeah," Videl said, unsure what to think. "You might want to tell the front office about that, and see about getting yourself a new locker. And try not to destroy that one if you do get a new one. You might want to hurry to, or you'll be late for PE."

"Good idea, I think I'll go do that now," Gohan stammered. He waited until Videl was long gone before slamming the slab of blue metal over the top of his head a couple times out of frustration. He didn't notice, nor did he care if anybody saw him or not. "Way to go Gohan! You tell yourself your not going to do anything to make yourself look suspicious, and then it only takes you five seconds to blow it!" Gohan grumbled, and then examined the now dented piece of metal and plastic, wondering just what he was going to do with it. "I might as well do what Videl suggested. I guess I shouldn't worry about it, what's done is done. All I have to do is get through PE, and this nightmare of a day will finally be over!"

----------

Gohan smiled to himself, as he straightened out his navy-blue T-shirt. He was pleased to discover this school was pretty lax on the regulations for gym uniforms, permitting the students to bring in their own clothes from home. This way Gohan could make sure to wear some loose fitting clothes to hide a physique that was much to well developed for someone his age. Then again, he was starting to miss the point on that entirely now since there were several other students, such as Sharpner, who had even bigger builds then Gohan did. Still, he looked at them as being to bulky and overdeveloped. Gohan's build was much more defined and well-rounded from years of martial arts training and discipline. Then again, he didn't want to have anybody gawking at him regardless.

That wasn't the reason he was smiling though. That grin was plastered there from the knowledge his class would be playing field hockey after stretching and chin-ups, their morning fitness test for the day. Hockey was one of the few sports Gohan was familiar with, baseball being the other from what little bit about it he'd gathered from Yamcha. How could any Sayian, even a half one, not respect a sport where fighting was permitted as part of the rules? Of course none of that would be allowed on school ground, but the thought brought a smirk to Gohan's lips none the less. He frowned a bit as the thought of some of the days previous events pushed their way to the front. With the way this day was going so far he'd have to be careful not to hit the puck to hard, so he didn't send it flying through the goalies chest.

Gohan trudged over to the corner by the pull-up bar, where the rest of the class had amassed. Gohan had taken longer in the office then he had expected, making him late, and apparently morning warm-ups were already done and over with. 

"Well, Mr. Son. It's nice to see you finally joined us," Gohan's PE teacher acknowledged his presence, while he watched a husky boy struggle to lift his excess weight over the bar. A second later he gave up, and dropped to the ground.

"Sorry, about being late sir. I had a little mishap with my locker, and had to make a run to the front office. I have an excuse note for being tardy in my bag if you need it."

"Whatever. I'll take your word for it for now, just make sure you get it to me after class. Since you're already on your feet you might as well go next."

"Yeah, sure sir," Gohan said softly.

"Be careful now Gohan," Ryo said, as Gohan walked by him. "You wouldn't want to yank the bar out of the wall or anything."

Gohan stopped and eyed Ryo curiously, who smirked with his eyes closed while looking at the ground. 

"Yeah, like that would really happen," Sharpner scoffed. "I'd be surprised to see him do more then one."

Gohan frowned, accepting Sharpner's comment as a challenge. "Gohan, any day now," the teacher said, derailing Gohan's train of thought. The one where he was the conductor, and Sharpner was tied to the tracks. Gohan grinned, determined to show the arrogant muscle head a thing or two.

Gohan peered up at the bar, debating over how to go about this. He didn't want to expose any of his power, but he figured it wouldn't hurt to show off just a bit if it would shut Sharpner up. Just as long as he kept it within the bounds of a normal human's ability, and didn't do anything too out of the ordinary. Gohan smirked, knowing exactly what he was going to do. He grabbed the bar with one hand so his fingers were exposed to the outside, and took hold of his wrist with the other. It wasn't really necessary, but it would make things slightly more believable to the rest of the class. He was poised to begin, when his teacher chose to stop him.

"Um excuse me Gohan. I understand you're new to school in general, and have probably never done anything like this before. It's okay to grab the bar with both hands, and it would be easier if you turned your hands to hold the bar the other way. It's a lot less stress on your wrists, and arms muscles."

"I appreciate the advice sir, but I'm fine. I use to do something just like this back at home with branches on the trees outside our house.

Sharpner chuckled with amusement. "Yeah, and he probably chased squirrels all day, and ate roast rabbit for lunch! Come on, let him try it coach. This should be fun to watch."

"Okay, if you think you can handle it Gohan. Just don't hurt yourself okay?"

"I won't," Gohan said, glaring daggers at Sharpner. There wasn't anyone around school Gohan truly disliked or couldn't stand, but Sharpner was dangerously close to becoming the first. Sure, Gohan had chased around a squirrel or two in his younger days, he didn't have any playmates his own age so he had to improvise, but he most certainly had never once eaten rabbit. Then again, he hadn't a clue what exactly his mother put in that meatloaf. 

Gohan shook off any adverse thoughts, and got down to business. With little effort, he pulled his head up over the bar and held himself there for a moment. Just long enough to make eye contact with Sharpner who clearly looked surprised. "One," he rolled of his tongue, leaving little question who that was directed at. Gohan let his body fall back down and pulled himself back up continuing the motion at a moderate rate, a snails pace to the Demi-Sayian, but at remarkable speed for most of his classmates. They gawked at him in amazement, as Gohan pulled his head over the bar over and over again with relative ease.

"Forty-five," Sharpner heard the boy next to him mouth, as he was obviously keeping track of Gohan's progress. Sharpner grunted with a mix of awe and jealousy in his face. He'd given up after only twenty-five when his arms had gotten sore and tired.

"Sixty-two," his teacher marveled. "And all in one minute! This has to be some kind of state record."

Gohan looked over at Sharpner and smiled, satisfied with his expression of amazement and envy. However, that's when Gohan noticed something he'd forgotten to consider. Everyone else was staring at him with similar looks of shock, and a couple of them whistled and called out his name encouraging him to keep on going. It didn't matter what the situation was, Gohan just hated being the center of attention and now realizing everybody's eyes were on him was making him increasingly uncomfortable. Only Ryo seemed to be unimpressed by what Gohan was accomplishing. In fact, he stared at Gohan rather strangely, almost like he was expecting or waiting for something to happen. 

There was one set of eyes in particular that caught Gohan's attention, and they were the set of baby blue that belonged to none other then Videl. She watched on probably more intently then anyone, and this was more then just a tiny distraction to the pride driven half-human. In fact, it was just enough of a distraction to cause Gohan to forget not to use too much of his strength for a split second. One split second too many. On his way down the next thing Gohan knew, two loud noises sounding a lot like cement collapsing caught his ear, and his feet were planted firmly on the gym floor. Gohan looked up, and to his dismay the bar was still in his right hand along with two big blocks of stone that use to be attached to the wall. A bead of sweat dripped down his face as he slowly lowered his head to look out into the crowd of students. Just about every one of them was staring at him with their mouths hanging open, most noticeably Videl who was now standing on her feet. Probably alarmed when she heard the stone being ripped out of the wall. The only exception was Ryo who was shaking his head, and if Gohan didn't know any better he could swear Ryo was actually giggling.

"Oops… Sorry about that," Gohan laughed nervously, as he let the bar drop to the floor with a thud.

"Don't worry about it," his teacher said, after recovering from the shock of what he just witnessed. "This old building is falling apart. We need to get somebody in here to inspect this place before the roof caves in on us."

The teacher examined the wreckage on the floor, and then the carnage inflicted on the wall. "Well, I guess we'll have to finish this some other time. How many did you get up to exactly anyway? Somewhere in the high eighties I think."

"Is that good?"

The teacher let out a small laugh. "Yes Gohan. I assure you, you passed."

"That's good to hear," Gohan said, as he rubbed the back of his head, before hanging it in embarrassment. Oh man… Who would've thought keeping my strength secret was going to be this hard?!

---------

The good news was Gohan didn't take out any of his classmates during field hockey that afternoon, though he did consider crosschecking Sharpner through the wall a time or two. On a down note, he did destroy one of the gym's practice basketball backboards with an arrant slap shot. 

"Way to go Gohan, you just can't act normal for more then five minutes can you? Well, I guess I might as well make a game out of it or something. Count how many times I goofed up this week, and put it up against how many times I make an ass out of myself next week and see if I improve any. Oh man, I can see it now. Dork with spiky hair blows up Orange Star High School, story at ten."

All Gohan wanted to do right then was head home, and forget this day ever happened. However, fate just did not have that in the cards for him this day. As he inched his way towards the exit, and that much closer to ever-beloved freedom, a rather disturbing scene in the hallway caught his eye that just demanded his attention.

"Just what the heck is he?!" Videl asked herself, as she made her way down the hall. She'd been lucky enough to avoid any of her fame lusting friends to that point. "First he tares his locker off it's hinges like he's ripping toilet paper off the roll, then he rips the pull-up bar right out of the wall along with a couple chunks of the wall along with it, and then he completely destroyed a basketball net with one slap shot! However, I will admit it was kind of funny to see the hoop get stuck around Sharpner's neck." Videl smiled at that image, but her expression grew serious very quickly.

"But all three can't be a coincidence. Now all I have to do is find out what's up with him! Who he is, where he comes from, and just what the heck his game is! I need to find out, or it's going to drive me crazy until I do! Maybe he's trying to destroy the school piece by piece, I don't know. Maybe that's his secret."

Finished with her rant, Videl lifted her head up just in time to catch an unwelcome glimpse of Rico and his friends. They were well-known thugs and trouble makers around school, that Videl had been forced to straighten out and keep in line on several occasions. From the looks of it they were up to their old tricks, harassing some freshmen they had cornered near the boy's room.

"Come on boy, cough off the dough. You remember the penalty for not paying up don't you?" Rico smirked deviously at the boy.

"Yes, I do, but I don't see the point in giving you the money anymore!" the boy retorted. "You usually just beat me up anyway claiming it wasn't enough. Besides, I just don't have any today! My parents stopped giving me allowance because they think I'm blowing it, because you keep stealing it from me!"

  
"Hey, that's not my problem punk," Rico sneered. "You better find a way to come up with some cash, or we may just have to take you for a ride out by the docks again."

The brown-headed boy quivered in fear, remembering the little game they had played with him, or as they called it anyway. He really thought they were actually going to let him drown the last time. "No, I don't. Look, I swear I'll pay you double tomorrow, just let us go in peace okay!"

While the boy seemed more then willing to deal with the goons, the girl standing at his side didn't seem willing at all. She slapped her brother in the side of the arm, and glared at him for even daring to offer these hoods one cent.

"What is wrong with you?! Don't you have any backbone?! Stand up to them, just don't stand there and let them walk all over you!"

"Shut up sis!" he sneered, knowing his sister had no clue what kind of hell these boys could put him through.

"No, come on kid, stand up to us," Rico laughed, along with his two buddies. "It's a shame you don't have any money though. Maybe we could arrange a different form of payment." 

Rico grabbed the girls face in between his fingers, and pushed her up against a row of lockers. "You sure have a pretty sister here," he smirked, as he pulled on the ponytail she had her long brown hair pulled back in. "Maybe we should just take it out of her ass. Tell me honey, are you a virgin?"

"Let her go!" the boy yelled, slapping Rico's hand off of his sister. Rico grabbed the boy by the neck with his newly freed hand, and shoved him up against the locker next to his sister.

"Wrong move punk."

Videl had seen enough to make her blood boil. She threw her bag down, and moved to intervene but stopped when she noticed someone had beat her too it.

"Let him go!" Gohan ordered from behind Rico's broad back.

"Who the hell?" Rico asked, as he turned around. He let go of the boy, but not because Gohan had told him to.

Gohan stared back at the thug sternly. "Well, I have to say I'm not impressed tough guy. You can pick on smaller kids and girls just fine, but why don't you try to mess with me now? Or do your balls suddenly get smaller when someone your own size gets in your face?"

Rico smirked, ignoring Gohan's insult. "Well what do we have here? If it isn't super dork," Rico jeered, as he and his buddies began to size up Gohan. Rico was a big kid, and presumably a threat to most normal humans. Gohan stared him straight in a face that looked like it hadn't seen soap in years, if at all, and a stringy head of brown hair that appeared just as neglected. The two goofs at his sides weren't much better. One was a tall lanky boy with a shaved head, and the other a shorter but well built boy with spiky blonde hair. Needless to say, Gohan was not impressed.

"What's the matter boy?" Rico asked, after Gohan remained silent for a while. "Gohan isn't it? What's the matter? Are you just trying to act tough, or are you looking for a fight?"

Gohan remained unshaken. "Unlike you, I don't have to act tough. No, I wasn't looking for a fight, but I have no qualms with kicking your three or four teeth in if you insist on pushing other people around."

"Well then punk, let's see if you bark is worse then your bite." 

"Give me your best shot."

Rico backed off a little, a bit unnerved. He was counting on intimidating the smaller teen, but Gohan was backing down an inch. He showed absolutely no fear of Rico, sending the young goon for a loop. The only other person ever to look at him like that was Videl, and she was the only other person to ever completely mop the floor with Rico. Growing frustrated and angry with Gohan, Rico decided to take him up on his offer.

"Well, if you insist!" Rico wound up, and drove his fist right into Gohan's gut. Gohan didn't flinch, move, smirk, or anything. He just stood there unaffected, and glared back at Rico noting the look of absolute shock in his face. Rico's fist was still pressed up against Gohan's abdomen. Finally, Rico pulled his arm back, and smiled a hideous smile at Gohan. Rico walked back towards his friends grinning like an idiot, as they stared at him in confusion. They looked back at Gohan who didn't seem affected in the least by Rico's blow, nor did he try to fight back in anyway. Then they looked back at Rico who finally just couldn't go on with his little tough guy act.

"OH KAMI!" Rico cried, with tears streaming down his eyes, he grabbed his hand and collapsed to the ground. "AH, DAMN IT HURTS! I THINK IT'S BROKEN! WHAT THE HELL, ARE YOU MADE OF STEEL OR SOMETHING?! SHIT!"  


"Rico are you okay?" one of his friends asked in a panic.

"NO, I'M NOT OKAY YOU IDIOT! WHAT ARE YOU MORONS STANDING AROUND FOR?! GET HIM!"

"Oh right!" The blonde guy said, before advancing on Gohan. Gohan had to hold back his laughter at the comical display. "What are you smirking at pretty boy? I'm going to mess up that face of yours!"

"Do you guys make up those stupid lines on your own, or do you just steal them from cheesy old movies?"

"Shut up!" he yelled, as he took a swing at Gohan. A blow he easily dodged. Gohan decided he better make it look good just in case anybody was watching him. Taking a punch in the gut might be believable, but taking several punches in the face without a mark to show for it might be a little much. 

Rico's friend continued to swing at him wildly, and Gohan either dodged effortlessly or put his arm up to block just for a change of pace. About ten seconds of that was all Gohan could take. Gohan grabbed a hold of the boy's wrist, stunning him just long enough for Gohan to literally grab his face with the palm of his hand. Gohan shoved him backward, sending the boy flying towards the nearest waste container. The spiky haired blonde stumbled into the trashcan, falling inside head first leaving his legs sticking out of the top kicking wildly. 

"Gohan behind you!"

Gohan shot his head around to find Videl was watching the fight from down the hall. Slightly embarrassed, Gohan lifted up his arm to rub the back of his head when his elbow conveniently connected with the jaw of the tall bald guy, who had tried to rush Gohan from behind. Gohan looked up at the guy who was now wobbling around with a dazed look on his face. Everything finally went black on him, and he dropped to the ground out cold, little stars circling above his head. "Whoa, careful there guy. You could really hurt yourself running into my elbow like that."

With his goons out of the way, all that was left was Rico who started to back away as soon as saw Gohan stalk towards him. "Get away from me your freak! I was only playing with him, I swear it! I wasn't really going to hurt him. Just leave me alone okay!"

"People like you disgust me," Gohan spat. "Just because you're a little stronger you think that gives you the right to push around people that are weaker then you. Then when someone comes along who's stronger then you, you try to crawl into some corner and hide like the coward you really are. You want me to leave you alone Rico? I better not catch you pulling that crap I just saw with anybody else, or your going to have to deal with me a lot more often then you can handle!"

"I swear it man, I'll never do it again!" Rico lied, just hoping to get out of this situation as soon as he could. "Just back off, and I swear we won't have any more problems."

For a second it looked like Gohan was going to do just that, but he was just psyching Rico out. He stalked back towards the boy and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, pulling him to his feet forcefully. "I don't believe you," Gohan said coldly. He peered deep into Rico's brown eyes before an odd flowing sound caught his ear. Gohan looked down at the crotch of his jeans, and smiled widely at the boy. "Did you just wet you pants?"

"What's going on out here?!" A gruff voice yelled into the air. Gohan immediately dropped Rico back down on his butt, and whirled around to find his algebra teacher standing behind him. An older man in his early fifties with a white beard and matching hair, and a small-framed pair of glasses. 

"Um, nothing," Gohan gulped.

"Don't try to tell me nothing," he said, as he looked down at the unconscious boy laying a few feet to his right. "Really, I'm surprised at you Gohan. There are serious consequences for starting frights around here young man."

"But I didn't start it sir!" Gohan yelped defensively. "I was just…" Gohan pointed in the direction he'd dropped Rico only to find the lousy snake had already slithered out of harms way. 

"No, excuses young man! Come with me! If you're going to explain your actions to anyone it's going to be the principal!"

"Oh man…" Gohan moaned, as he followed his algebra teacher to the principal's office.

----------

Gohan sat anxiously, listening to the principal as she reprimanded him. This is ridiculous! All I did was defend those two kids from those punks who were threatening them! Yet I'm the one who gets in trouble! They knew there was a fight, so they just grabbed the first person they saw they knew was involved and pinned it all on me! This is kind of like that cop who let's the bank robber slip away and escape, because he's too busy writing out a ticket to someone he pulled over for doing forty-one in a forty!

"Do you understand what I'm saying Gohan?" The principal asked gruffly.

"Yes I understand Ma'am…"

"You've only been attending this school for two weeks, and your already getting into trouble. Normally any type of fighting on school grounds calls for automatic suspension despite the case, but…"

"But?" Gohan asked hopefully.

"But…" The principal's expression softened slightly. "Miss Videl put in a good word for you. She informed me that she saw the entire thing, and that you only got involved to help out those kids they were badgering."

"Videl put in a good word for me?" Gohan asked, completely in shock.

"Indeed she did. When Videl says something we dare not doubt her. Also, we know all about Rico and his friends, and they've never exactly been honor students if you know what I mean. I can understand you wanting to stand up for the younger children, but next time please come to one of the teachers and don't take the law into your own hands okay? It's hard enough having one famous vigilante student on our hands."

"No problem Ma'am, I understand. I wasn't looking to get into a fight anyway, but I didn't have much choice after they attacked me. I'll try better to avoid it in the future."

"See that you do." Her expression hardened slightly. "And make sure you stay out of trouble in the future Gohan. I'll be keeping an eye on you, and try not to destroy any more lockers will you?"

"Oh, yeah that… Sure thing Ma'am." Gohan sweat dropped. Good thing she hasn't heard about what I did to the gym yet.

Gohan released an exasperated sigh of relief, as the door to the office closed behind him. So he couldn't trash bullies anymore. No biggy, there were ways to work around that. For example he could play ping-pong with them across the hallway with a few mere exertions of his energy. Whoa, Videl stood up for me? I have to say I'm more then a little surprised. I'm going to have to find her and thank her. She just saved me from getting my butt kicked out of school.

End.

-Howdy! Once again, not much here but you have to give a story time to build up and develop. I don't like it when authors rush into the plot too quickly, I prefer something that lasts a little while so that's what I'm doing. Am I forgetting something?… Oh, yeah the preview! In chapter three Gohan goes searching for Videl to thank her, but a certain thug and his friends aren't satisfied with admitting defeat or settling for being made fools out of. 'Til next time thanks for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

A good thirty minutes had passed after the final bell had rung, signaling the end of the long school day. Gohan journeyed through the halls in hopes that he might find Videl so he could thank her, but figured she was most likely long gone by then along with most everybody else. Still, it didn't hurt to look though.

"Hey Gohan! Uh… That's your name isn't it?" A female voice asked excitedly.

Gohan turned towards the voice and smiled. It was the same girl that Rico had been sexually harassing just a few minutes before, and along with her brother had slipped away somewhere during the fight. "Hey there. Hope your okay? That Rico jerk didn't rattle you too much did he?"

"Oh no, I don't let scum like that affect me," she replied, blushing slightly. "I'm glad I ran into you. I wanted to thank you for helping me, and my brother out back there. He wanted to thank you himself, but he had to run home."

"That's okay, I don't even need any thanks, though it's appreciated. I was doing what I thought was right is all."

"That was really brave of you, you know," she said rather shyly, still blushing like an overripe tomato. Gohan noticed this, and wondered if she had some kind of weird skin disorder. "I really do appreciate it. If there's anything I can do to repay you just say the word… By the way, my name is Kamari."

"Well, it's nice to meet you Kamari," Gohan smiled sweetly. "Don't you worry about repaying me. It's all in a day's work helping out a pretty lady and all."

Kamari's face burned even brighter. "Oh please stop, your embarrassing me! Well, I guess I better be going now. I'll see you later Gohan… I hope."

"Bye-bye Kamari." Gohan watched curiously, as Kamari walked away turning back around to wave at him before disappearing down the hall. He wondered why she was giggling when she walked by him. "That was strange. Do I have something on my nose?"

"Ah, isn't that cute," Ryo teased, as he suddenly appeared at Gohan's side. "I think somebody has a crush on you Gohan."

Now it was Gohan who was lighting up like a lava lamp. "What are you talking about?! So I helped her and her brother out, that doesn't mean she has a crush on me or anything!"

"Actually, that's probably exactly why she does," Ryo disagreed. "Besides the fact that it is kind of obvious. When girls blush like that around you, and flirt with you like that, they obviously have a thing for you Gohan."

"It doesn't mean that Ryo! A lot of different girls act that way around me, and…" Gohan's mouth dropped, and his face flushed a deep red as that realization sunk in. "Oh…"

"Well duh," Ryo said, trying his best not to laugh at the look on Gohan's face. "Your really naïve when it comes to things like this aren't you Gohan? When you see those girls staring at you and giggling, they're not laughing at you Gohan. Most of them are talking about you because they think you're cute."

"But… but…How do you handle it then?" 

Now it was Ryo's turn to blush. "What do you mean? What makes you think I'd know?"

Gohan's face remained serious and innocent. "Well, I see girls do the exact same thing to you all the time, so I just figured you knew how to deal with it already."

"What are you talking about?! No, they don't!"

Gohan smiled evilly seeing his chance for revenge. "Now who's being naïve? You're just as bad as I am, face it. I've seen girls act the same way around you all the time! I just thought that was the way they made fun of dorks around here."

"Can we drop the subject, and not talk about this!"

"That's just fine with me," Gohan replied very relieved. "By the way, you haven't seen Videl around have you?"

Ryo smiled in a way Gohan couldn't quite decipher. "Yeah, she just walked out the door a minute ago. If you hurry you might catch her before she hops into her chopper."  


"Thanks Ryo." Gohan was ready to rush out to look for her when Ryo stopped him.

"Oh, by the way," Ryo said, his expression turning very serious. "You might want to keep an eye on her until you guys are off of school grounds today, and watch your own back while your at it. I have a sinking feeling something bad is in the works."

Gohan eyed Ryo suspiciously wondering what he could possibly be getting at. He shook it off quickly, and darted off to find Videl. "Thanks Ryo… I'll keep my eyes open."

Gohan tried not to think much of Ryo's warning, but it just seemed to stick somewhere in the back of his mind. It wasn't that he feared for his own safety or anything like that, he just wanted to know what it was exactly that Ryo thought he knew and, if he did, how he knew it. All thoughts of that encounter were instantly forgotten when he spotted Videl almost as soon as he exited the building. She had already pulled her dino-cap from her pocket, when she heard someone calling her name. She frowned a bit at first, not in the mood to talk to anyone since she just wanted to get home, but when she realized it was Gohan calling out to her she had to fight back a smile from crossing her lips.

"Hey Gohan, you need something?" Videl asked, trying her best to sound disinterested with everything around her as usual.

"Nothing much," Gohan responded almost shyly as he approached her. "I just wanted to thank you for sticking up for me to the principal after that fight I got into earlier. I thought I was in real trouble there for a minute, they were all but ready to suspend me if you hadn't done what you did."

"Don't mention it, it was no problem," Videl dismissed the act like it was nothing. "You know it was noble of you to stick up for those kids like that." Videl allowed a small grin to cross her lips as she said that for just a moment before her face quickly turned seriously. "Still, I wouldn't advise that you do that again in the future. Rico and his thug friends aren't your ordinary juvenile delinquents, they can get very dangerous when they want to be. If I were you I'd leave the tough guy antics at home, and leave that kind of work to me before you get yourself hurt. No offense, but I've had a lot more experience and training dealing with this type of scum then you have."

"Is that so?" Gohan nearly laughed. If you only knew Videl. I've fought with super powered monkey's bent on total destruction of our planet, an evil tyrant bent on conquering the universe, and marauding androids one being the creep your father took the credit for riding the world of. I think I can handle a couple of street punks with serious hygiene problems. "I'll keep that in mind Videl, but don't worry about me. I can take care of myself."

"So I can see," Videl smirked, and eyed him questioningly. "So tell me Gohan, just where did you learn to take a punch like that?"

Gohan sweat dropped. "Oh that... Well, I've been training in martial arts for years with my dad and his friends, and they can hit a lot harder then Rico can. Compared to some of the blows I've taken from them, Rico's punch was almost like getting hit in the face with a pillow," Gohan answered truthfully, conveniently leaving out the parts about aliens and other things she didn't need to know about. "To tell you the truth, I don't think Rico is half as tough as he thinks he is."

"Your probably right there," Videl agreed. "Martial arts training huh?"

"There they are," a raspy voice sneered from a car hidden somewhere in the shadows. 

"I see them Biggs… This is almost to perfect," Rico chuckled as he glared at his two targets. They were standing out in the open alone by one of the side entrances to the school that was little used. Rico could only make out the back of Videl's head from the back alley their car was parked in, but he could see Gohan's face all too clearly. "We better hurry. Start the car Gunther!"

"Are you sure you want to do this Rico?" the spiky haired blond asked nervously. "Don't you think this is a little much? Couldn't we just jump him after school, and rough him up or something?"  


"Stop talking like a pussy Gunther! Nobody makes an ass out of me like that! Nobody, and that scrawny son of a bitch is going to pay! Now since that little brat Videl is with him, I can kill two birds with one stone. Now shut up, and start the car!"

"Okay… If you say so," Gunther sighed, as he started the car. He really didn't want to go through with his, but he feared Rico might take his frustrations out on him if he didn't comply.

Rico cackled, and he pushed a fresh clip into his handgun as the car slowly crept out of its hiding spot. "So, you can take a punch can you Gohan? Let's see if your bullet proof too."

"What the?" Videl said at the sound of a vehicle accelerating, and from the sound of it heading in their direction. Gohan looked out at the speeding car equally as puzzled.

"Hey super dork! I've got your kryptonite right here!" Rico pointed his gun out of the window and fired, ringing out several shots until the barrel was empty.

It took exactly one second for both Gohan and Videl to realize what was going down, and they were both thinking the exact same thing. Get the other out of harms way, and they both reacted at the same time.

"Look out!" Videl shouted as she grabbed him by the bands of his black over shirt intending on pulling him to the ground with her. Much to her surprise, Gohan didn't budge. The next thing she knew she felt Gohan's arm wrap around her with surprising strength, and dropped to his knees making sure none of Videl's body was exposed. Her eyes widened, surprised by how easily he overpowered her, and by the fact that he was literally using his body as a human shield to protect her. 

Gohan held on to Videl tight, as he felt three little pings bounce off his back. He listened as the car sped off into traffic, and quickly let go of Videl once he was sure the coast was clear. They both shot up quickly and stared off in the direction the hoods had drove off in, and then looked back at each other allowing the same question to roll off their tongues. "Are you alright?!"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Gohan answered first, fairly certain he already knew what Videl's answer was going to be.

"Damn, that was nuts! What were those creeps thinking?!"

"That's the problem, they don't think!" Videl fumed. "That's what I meant when I said they aren't your normal hoodlums! You see why you shouldn't be messing with them?! They must be out of their minds! Do they have any idea how many people they could've hurt or killed!"

"They obviously didn't care. I better go call the police," Gohan lied, as he ran off. He had much different plans in mind, but he couldn't let Videl in on them. 

"You go do that," Videl said to herself, after Gohan was well out of earshot. She pulled a tiny capsule out of her pocket, and tossed it to the ground watching as her chopper materialized behind the usual cloud of dust. "In the meantime I'm going after those dirt bags before they get any farther away. There's no way I'm letting them get away with what they just pulled!"

"Turn down this road Gunther!" Rico ordered his friend in the driver's seat. "It's an old back road no one uses anymore. It leads to an old dirt road leading to the middle of nowhere. We need to get out of sight before the police come looking for us. They'll never find us out here, do we can hang out until the heat's off."

"I can't believe you just did that man!" Gunther said, as the old dirt road Rico had promised quickly came into view. "What do we do if we get caught?! This is serious Rico! We're in deep shit now!"

"Stop your whining and keep driving! We're not going to get caught! No one knows where we're going, even if anybody knows we're even responsible yet."

"Hey, what's that?" Biggs asked, after hearing something in the background that sounded a lot like helicopter blades spinning.

"Yeah, I hear it to. Sounds like a chopper, but…" Rico face faulted. "AWE SHIT!"

"Stop your vehicle now creeps!" Videl ordered, her voice booming over the police intercom built into her chopper. "Don't you know drive-by shootings are a serious crime in this country! Not to mention the penalty for two counts of attempted murder!"

Rico face faulted again. "Attempted murder?! Damn, I didn't get either one of them!"

"Oh, this is just great Rico!" Gunther groaned. "Our asses are going to wind up in jail for the rest of our lives, and you didn't even hit your target!"

"Shut up and drive Gunther! Nobody's going to jail!"

"Pull over, and come out with your hands up!" Videl boomed. "Don't make me come down there and get you!"

Rico poked his head out of the car window, and shook his fist up at her helicopter in defiance. "Bring it on little missy!"

"Little missy!" Videl growled. "That's it! These morons are going down!"

Videl positioned her chopper directly above the speeding vehicle before switching the controls to auto pilot. She slid open the chopper doors, and timing everything perfectly, jumped out and landed on the hood of the getaway car.

"She's on the roof!" Biggs deduced after hearing a thud from above.

"Then just don't sit there you idiot!" Rico pushed him towards the window. "Get up there and get her!"

Biggs looked at his friend like he was crazy before reluctantly replying to his demand, and rolling down the window. He poked his head and shoulders out the window, and looked up to find Videl standing on the edge of the roof looking down at him.

"Don't you know it's dangerous to stick your head out of a car window? Get back inside!" Videl shot her leg out quickly, her foot connecting with the boy's face. Biggs slingshot back inside, landing in Rico's lap. Little X's formed in his eyes as he moaned incoherently.

"Get off of me!" Rico shouted, throwing Biggs's body down on the floorboard.

"I could've gone to law school like mom wanted," Gunther rambled while watching the road flying by in front of him. "But no, I had to be a rebel! I had to be a tough guy! If I had to be a crooked sleaze ball I could've at least become a lawyer, and have gotten paid a lot of money for it!"

"Whine, moan, bitch!" Rico spat, as he slid a fresh clip into his gun. "I think this car could use one less hood ornament." Rico pointed his gun at the roof and fired.

"Whoa!" Videl gasped, as she danced out of the way of several bullets being fired from inside the car. She grunted in determination, and dropped on all fours searching for the best place to enter the vehicle. It didn't look like anyone was riding in the passenger seat, so she decided there would be the best place for entry.

"Crap," Rico whispered, realizing none of the shots had hit their intended target. "Gunther, stop the car!"

"Excuse me?"

"Just do it! Slam on the breaks now!"

Confused, Gunther did as he was told anyway. Videl was just then pulling her fist back to break through the glass of the passenger side window, when the car came to a screeching halt. Videl screamed as she was sent flying off the car, and braced herself to make contact with the unforgiving ground. However, that never happened. Videl opened her eyes to find she was floating in mid-air, no actually being carried. She looked up into the face of a young man with turquoise shaded eyes, and spiky golden hair smiling down at her. "Hey, look what I caught."

Videl blushed unsure of what surprised her more. The fact that this guy happened to be in just the right spot to catch her, or the fact that he was flying. Remembering the situation, she shook off her stupor and frowned at the man who's arms she was cradled up in. "Look, I appreciate you catching me and everything, but if you don't mind… PUT ME DOWN THIS INSTANT!"

"If you insist," Gohan smirked, obviously in his Super Sayian form. He stopped in mid-air and promptly dropped Videl down on her butt."

"Ouch!" Videl cried, as she rubbed the small of her back. "You didn't have to drop me you jerk!"

"Well, maybe next time you should show a little more appreciation." Gohan smiled realizing this really must be the way she greets everyone she meets for the first time. Or maybe with that Satan pride in her, she just hated it when she had to be helped out. "Now if you'll excuse me I have to go stop that car."

"Excuse me?" Videl asked, then watched in amazement as he flew out into the center of the dirt road. What Videl didn't know was that they had gotten considerably farther ahead of Rico and his friends, who were now once again speeding forward in their direction. Gohan waited patiently as their car came into view, barreling towards him going at least ninety-five miles and hour, kicking up dust as the wheels tore up the road.

"Who the heck is that?" Gunther asked noticing some strange looking guy with blond hair standing in the middle of the road. 

"I don't know, I guess some idiot standing out in the middle of the road. Don't worry about it, he'll move."

"Rico, he's not moving," Gunther said anxiously, as they closed in on him.

"Man this guy is whacked," Rico said. "Don't worry about it. He's obviously nuts, so you might as well just mow him down and put him out of his misery."

Both boys eyes widened as they closed in, close enough to notice Gohan was smiling at them. "Rico something's wrong here!"

  
"Is he out of his mind?!"

"What's going on?" Biggs stammered, as he finally came to.

"What the hell are you doing?! Get out of the way before they run you over!" Videl screamed at the golden haired boy, but he just seemed to ignore her. She flirted with the thought of running out there and pushing him out of the way, but by the time she decided to make a move she realized it was already too late. She closed her eyes and cringed, as the speeding car hit the young man head on.

Gohan's smile widened as the car approached, and stuck his foot out. The sounds of screeching metal ripped through the air, as the car split in half both sections clanking to a thud a few feet behind him. Wearing a smile only a Sayian was capable of marshalling, Gohan turned to examine the carnage left behind him. Gunther was fastened snuggly into his seat, which was now sitting in the middle of the road, still clutching on to the steering wheel. The only two parts of the car left completely intact. Biggs was lying across some of the debris, knocked out cold for the third time in the last hour. Rico would be in definite need of a chiropractor, hunched over on his neck like a pretzel with his legs pointing towards the sky in about the most uncomfortable fashion imaginable. Gohan quickly rounded up the three hoodlums, and piled them up in the middle of the dirt road, all three too dumfounded to put up even the tiniest bit of resistance. They remained completely quiet and still, except for a little nervous twitching, as they stared up at who was most definitely some kind of monster in their eyes.

Gohan peered over at the side of the road where Videl was standing, gawking at the scene in front of her with her mouth hanging open and her eyes as wide as saucers. Once Videl noticed the golden guy was looking in her direction she quickly shook off the shock, and glared at Gohan suspiciously. "What the he… How the?!… What the heck do you think your doing?!"

"Well, in case you didn't notice I think I just stopped three crooks from making their getaway." Gohan frowned slightly growing irritated with the way Videl was treating him. He was only trying to help her out after all. 

Videl placed her fists on her hips, and frowned. "Well, it's not that I don't appreciate the help, but I could've handled things here myself! I'm trained and licensed to do this kind of thing, and I don't need some super-charged vigilante trying to play superman running around and risking botching everything up! I don't care what kind of tricks you used to tare up that car, and make yourself look like you can fly!"

"Tricks?" Gohan raised an eyebrow. "Aw forget about it. Look, I didn't mean to get in your way, but I had a personal issue to settle with these creeps. They're all yours now. You might want to call a cop car or something to come get these guys. Later."

Videl's eyes bugged out again as the golden guy took flight, and flew off at amazing speed. "Maybe he really can fly… Weird. Oh well, might as well call the captain, so he can send someone to come pick up this garbage."

Videl placed a call into the station only to find a car was already on it's way. Videl smiled remembering Gohan saying that he was going to call the police. Videl's brow lowered over her eyes, as she thought about the matter further. "Wait a minute… Gohan?" Videl looked back up in the direction that strange guy just flew off in. "No, it couldn't be. Gohan's a lot better looking then that guy was. Still… I think I need to get back to the school, and do a little investigating." 

All of a sudden a violent stench attacked the air, forcing Videl to grab at her nose. "Ewe gross! Which one of you three let loose in your pants?!"

********

Gohan wasn't exactly sure where he wanted to go, but he knew he didn't want to go home quite yet. He needed to blow off some steam first, and he finally decided to head back towards the school. He doubted the one reason he had to go back there was still there, but it was worth the shot none the less. Making sure the cost was clear, Gohan landed safely to the ground without being noticed, and finally allowed his mouth to spout out the full blown rant that had been building up since Rico tried to gun him down.

"I can't believe those guys! All I did was embarrass them a little bit, which they deserved, and they want to turn around and try to take my life because of it! If I was anyone else I'd be dead right now! No wonder that kid wouldn't stand up to them… He probably knew exactly what they were like. Worst of all, they could've hurt Videl or somebody else just trying to get to me! What the hell is wrong with them?! I'll tell you, those kind of people don't deserve to be walking the streets, and if I had it my way I'd remove them all personally!"

As luck would have it, Gohan's excuse for coming was gratified. Ryo was still on school grounds, or he was just leaving them anyway. Gohan assumed Ryo meant Rico's drive by shooting when he warned him of impending danger earlier that day, and Gohan had been dying to ask him about it since the attack. He didn't suspect Ryo of any particular wrong doing, but it was too much of a coincidence to completely ignore. Besides, he had loads of other questions about him he still wanted answers too. Gohan lowered his Ki as much as he could so he couldn't be sensed. He was going to follow Ryo, and see just what he could find out about this mysterious human.

It hadn't taken long for the police to pick up Rico and his goons, and Videl wasted little time flying her chopper back towards the school. Her first stop was the crime scene where Rico had tried to gun her and Gohan down only moments ago. Her focus at the moment centered on three bullet casings near the wall of the school where they had been fired. "That's funny. I could've sworn I heard six shots, but there's only three bullet shells here. I've looked along the wall, but there's no sign of the other three. Hmm…"

Videl had an idea, but she doubted its legitimacy. It just seemed impossible to her but… She walked out into the grass, searching for the spot where she and Gohan had knelt for cover earlier that afternoon. It was relatively easy to find, for her trained eyes at least, since that section of grass was still slightly flattened out from where their feet and lower bodies had pressed into it. Videl knelt down for a closer look, and her eyes widened as she discovered something. The three missing bullet casings that she was unable to find along the wall. Not only that, but they were flat as pancakes, looking like someone had pounded them repeatedly with a hammer. She surveyed the area around her. There weren't any trees, statues, or anything else strong enough to have blocked the bullets flight path nearby.

"There's no way they could've ricocheted that far after hitting the wall! It's a good fifteen to twenty feet away! But the only target Rico could've possibly hit out here was Gohan… Why am I even considering that! The idea is absolutely crazy, there's no way Gohan could've taken three bullets without so much as a scratch…" Videl's eyes widened as a thought occurred to her. "Unless he's not okay… He could've been hurt badly when he ran off, I didn't even really bother to make find out. I need to find him and make sure."

A mild panic sweeping over her, Videl combed through the immediate area, but didn't find any traces of blood anywhere. That was a good sign, but she still couldn't help but worry. Her first instinct was to run to the nurses office to see if Gohan had stopped by or anything, and if not to track down the handful of people left at the school and interrogate them on what they might have seen after she went after Rico and his gang. Those plans would change three seconds later when she saw none other then Gohan streaking past her form a distance. He was sleeking around in a rather odd manner, giving the impression he was trying to avoid being seen. From where she was standing, Gohan looked perfectly fine to her. Videl frowned at this miffed that she wasted her time worrying about someone who had the nerve to be perfectly fine. There still was that little matter to explaining just how the hell he was perfectly fine after he apparently took three gunshots to his back. Videl wanted answers, and she wanted them right now. She chose to do the only logical thing to do, at least to the impatient and curious type, which she was guilty of both. She was going to follow him.

----------

Ryo was faced with this sinking feeling that someone was following him, and it took him mere seconds to realize the boy known as Gohan was hot on his tail. Ryo tried his best to shake him, but no matter what twists and turns he made Gohan was always right on his heels. Ryo was fairly sure Gohan knew he was on to him, but the boy must've chose to ignore the fact and follow him anyway. He'd managed to give Gohan a bit of the slip, at least to the point where Gohan couldn't see him, but Ryo didn't expect that trend to last very long. 

"I wonder if he can sense Ki?" Ryo asked himself. "I guess there's only one way to find out."  


Though Ryo had a clear view of the young Demi-Sayian, Ryo was still out of Gohan's range of sight for the moment. Ryo flared up his energy to see if Gohan would react, and sure enough he took the bait. Gohan's head snapped around hastily, searching for the source of the powerful surge of energy. Ryo smiled to himself contently. He had a feeling about this boy since the day he had walked into class, and now he was positive Gohan was exactly who he thought he was. 

Pinpointing where the energy had originated from, Gohan was set to make a beeline straight for it's source and finally catch Ryo red handed. He hadn't taken two steps when the feel of another strong Ki closing in on him stopped him dead in his tracks. Gohan shot his head around, and his sharp Sayian eyes caught a brief glimpse of Videl ducking into an alley to hide from his prying eyes. "Videl? What is she doing out here?… Is she following me?"

Ryo laughed slightly as he felt Videl's energy enter the area. It was obvious to him what she was doing. "How about that now? It looks like my stalker has a stalker of his own." 

Videl's appearance on the scene distracted Gohan just long enough for Ryo to take advantage of it. He quickly snuck away, choosing to cut through some of the old back allies on his way home. He figured Gohan didn't know his way around the city very well yet, and was counting on this little side-trip to lose his pursuer.

"Damn it!" Gohan cursed, realizing Ryo had given him the slip again. Forgetting all about Videl for the moment, Gohan resumed his chase trying his best to pick up Ryo's Ki. Gohan grinned to himself once he thought he'd finally caught up to it, and from the feel of it he was really close by. Gohan cut into an alley, and his eyes widened at what he found. A dead end and an orange alley cat Gohan had mistaken for Ryo. Gohan sweat dropped before marveling at what Ryo had done to him.

"Amazing… Ryo powered down so low that I confused his Ki with a cat? Either that, or my Sayian senses are getting really dull… I don't…HEY!" Gohan heard a high pitch scream as something rammed into his backside.

"Ah! Oh my head…" Videl moaned in a daze, getting knocked on her butt after running smack into Gohan. 

"Are you okay Videl?" Gohan asked worriedly, he himself completely un-phased by Videl's blunder.

"I'm fine!" Videl barked, refusing the hand he offered to help her up. She pushed herself back up to her feet, and stumbled around dizzily clutching her head the entire time. She couldn't explain why, but running into Gohan hurt and it hurt a lot. She thought she had run into walls that hurt less then he did."

"Serves you right," Gohan said, a mischievous smile spreading across his lips. "You shouldn't have been following me around like that."

"I was not following you!" Videl growled angrily, after successfully shaking most of the grogginess out of her head. "Get off yourself, Kami… You make it sound like I'm a love sick puppy or something!"

"I'm sorry I didn't mean it that way." Gohan sweat dropped. He figured he better sooth things over quick, realizing it wasn't a good idea to rib with Videl just yet. "I figured you were probably curious to some things about me that's all…Like how I ripped that locker off the hinges or took that punch from Rico, and you probably thought you could get some answers by following me around right?"

"Well… Yeah there is that, but I had other reason's for wanting to track you down," Videl said, partially admitting what she had denied just moments before. "For one, I wanted to thank you for trying to protect me back there. I could've taken care of myself, but it was a nice jester none the less I guess. That and I wanted to make sure you were all right… I'm sorry, I should've made sure before I ran off after those crooks. And I wasn't following you, I was just looking for you! Trust me, if I was following you, you never would've known about it."

"If you say so…" Gohan said, not masking well the fact that he didn't believe her. "Thanks, but I'm fine. There is an easier way to get answers out of me you know?"

"Like what?"

Gohan extended his hand to Videl, who looked at it slightly puzzled. "You can always ask me about it, and in a little time you might just find out everything about me that you want to know. Maybe we should start over. Hello, my name is Gohan, it's nice to meet you. I'd like to be friends, that is if you'd be willing to grant me that honor."

Videl tried her hardest not to, but she grinned regardless. Yeah, it was a cheesy line, and one Videl normally would've brushed away like a piece of dandruff from just about anybody else. Right now she had to admit it did sound rather cute coming from Gohan, though she wasn't exactly sure why, and judging from what she'd learned to expect from him to that point he probably meant it to. She hesitated a second or two to make it look like she had to think it over first before finally accepting his hand, and they shook on it. "Okay Gohan… If that's the way you want to play it. Let's just see where things go from here."

********

School the next morning was nerve racking to say the least. Gohan hadn't a clue how Videl and Ryo were going to react towards him after the events of the previous day. He was well aware that Ryo had full knowledge Gohan had been following him, and worried to how the boy was going to respond to the fact that morning. Videl was a more delicate subject however… He wasn't exactly sure why he was so worried about how she was going to act towards him that morning after their brief conversation the day before. He didn't want to admit it, but a part of him really wanted Videl to like him. He had no idea why, he hadn't really cared what anybody else thought of him to that point. He'd prefer it if the other kids liked him, but it wasn't a priority to him or a big deal if they didn't. He sure as hell wasn't going to change anything about himself, or act any differently to get on the good side of a few fickle teenagers. They would either have to like him for him, and if they didn't who the hell needed them?

Still, Videl was a soft spot he couldn't quite explain just yet, the reason for it being there anyway. She was direct kin to Hercule for Kami's sake, someone not all that high on Gohan's Christmas card list to say the very least. So, what was this feeling running laps in the pit of his stomach every time he thought about her, that enticed him to want to get to know her better when he could give or take just about anyone else. He didn't know, but all the more reason to attempt to get closer to her he guessed.

"Morning Gohan," the exact voice he had just been imagining, greeted him. 

Gohan turned to face the girl as she shut her locker, and he noted the rare smile on her face "Hey there, good morning Videl." That funny feeling in his gut returned, but a little less potent this time, lacking a bit of that sense of dread and anxiety. At least she was talking to him… That was a start, and put to ease at least one of his concerns that morning.

Then that other for mentioned concern popped up almost as quickly. That Ki he'd been chasing around for days now flared up again, but it wasn't just a fading thing. This time around it stayed strong instead of phasing out almost as quickly as he picked it up. Videl noticed the funny look on Gohan's face, and voiced her curiosity. "Is something wrong Gohan?"

"Oh no… I just forgot something… I'll catch you later Videl!" Gohan muttered the first excuse he could come up with, and hoped he didn't seem too rude as he dashed off towards the source of the Ki he was sensing. He waved back at Videl as he ran off, leaving the girl behind staring after him with her eyebrow raised. 

"That boy is definitely up to something."

  
"Excuse me!" Gohan apologized to a young couple he nearly mowed over as he rushed through the halls hoping to track down the source of that Ki before he had the chance to evade him yet again. Gohan blurred past the science hallway, and hung a sharp right down a corridor little used by the school. In fact the only room down that hall was an old storage closet the janitor used after regular school hours.

"Slow down Gohan, what's the big rush?"

Gohan stopped dead in his tracks, and turned to face Ryo who was making no attempt to hide who he was this time, a smug grin plastered across his face. Gohan's nerves settled, and he looked the boy dead in the eyes, returning a small smirk of his own. "So… It was you. I knew it!"

"Hmm… Yeah it's me. Sorry to give you the run around like that. Needless to say, I don't run into many people with your kind of power, especially my own age. I wasn't sure what to think of you at first, so I decided to lay low until I found out more about you. No offense, but I didn't want to expose myself to someone who could be hostile."

"I understand completely," Gohan assured him. Gohan figured Ryo must've come to many of the same conclusions about himself that Gohan had of Ryo. "I was worried about you finding me out early for the same reasons. But tell me though… Why did you decide to reveal yourself to me all of the sudden?"

"To tell you the honest truth I just got sick of hiding it," Ryo began. "It's a lot of work to keep my Ki suppressed to such a low level eight hours a day, five days a week. Besides, I don't care for the idea of being chased home every day. I doubted losing you the first time was going to detour you from following me as long as it took to get what you wanted.

Gohan gulped, as a bead of sweat developed over his head. "Oh yeah… I'm sorry about tailing you yesterday… I guess I did let my curiosity get the best of me. I do agree with you about the Ki thing though. It's a relief that I'm not going to have to hide it anymore."

Ryo smiled and nodded his head. "You know if you were really that interested to who I was, there are easier ways to go about it then spying on me you know?"

"Like what?" Gohan asked, a sudden feel of déjà vu spreading through his body.

"You could've always asked me about myself." Gohan's eyes widened as Ryo extended his hand out to him. "What don't we start this over. Howdy, my name is Ryo. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Gohan grinned, as he accepted his gesture. It looked like this boy had just turned the tables on him. He'd been doing the exact same thing to Ryo that Videl had been doing to him, and Gohan hadn't realized it until now. Well, he did want to find out more about his boy, and he couldn't think of a better way to go about it. "It's nice to meet you Ryo. My name's Gohan."

End.

-Whew… I can't decide whether this chapter was good or bad… I guess I can always do better. Anyway, part four is coming up. Gohan learns a few interesting things about his new friends. That's all I have this time, but there is much more to it then that! I hope it'll be ready by this weekend. Thanks for reading!


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

One month later

History. Gohan's favorite subject, but he wasn't wild about this class project Mr. Fukashima had dumped into his lap. Not only that but it was a group project, forcing Gohan to work with two other living beings on it. A few weeks ago that might've made him nervous, but not so much so now. It didn't take him long to figure out who his two partners would be. Two new friends of his that he had gotten to know over recent weeks, without really getting to know them. That meaning they hadn't really shared with him much about themselves, but he had learned a few things about them just by watching the way they would go about their daily lives.

First there was the raven-haired beauty sitting to his right. He eyed Videl as her blue eyes stared down at a sheet of paper yet to see a solitary scribble. Her pen dangled from her mouth, as she tried to think up any argument that might get their project off the ground. One thing he'd discovered about Videl was that her curiosity had no end, and when she was determined to accomplish something she wouldn't quit until the job was done. Not a day went by where she didn't dog him about his past, or where he came from, and she was never satisfied with the vague answers he'd offer her. He filled her in on a few little secrets about himself along the way, but nothing to off the wall or that would convict of being a half alien from another solar system. Sometimes even little half-truths seemed to do the trick. For instance, when she asked him about the color of his eyes. He told her it was a trait he inherited from his father that ran in the family. Of course he conveniently left out the part about that trait linking back to a distant planet where all the inhabitants had tails and black eyes. No need for Videl to know about that just yet.

Then there was Ryo, who slouched over on the table groggily, just barely forcing his eyelids to remain open. Gohan would laugh to himself softly every time his chin would slide of his hand, and how he'd stop himself every time just before his nose slammed into his history pick. It wasn't that the boy was disinterested with the assignment or even bored for that matter, but he obviously hadn't been getting much sleep lately. Gohan had inquired to him about that on several occasions, but Ryo would simply wave it off as nothing he needed to worry about, so Gohan didn't pry into the matter any further. Ryo hadn't reveled all that much about himself to that point, but Gohan remained patient knowing it would all come with time. Trust took time to develop, so Gohan saw no further need to rush his investigation. Any doubts he may have ever had about the boy were for the most part long gone.

The silence of the library remained stagnant chocking the life, or at least the speaking ability, of everyone it consumed. All three waited around seemingly waiting for someone else to break through their bonds, and bring some life back into the room. Suddenly Videl's eyes lit up in a rather rare, but stunning way, at least to the boy sitting on her right anyway. "I've got it! I think I finally figured it out!"

"What?" Ryo yawned. "How to smile?" Ryo's eyes opened as wide as they had all morning when a crumbled up ball of notebook paper flew into his face. "Hey!"

Videl frowned. "No, you dip! I know what we can do with our project."

"Oh yeah, what?" Gohan asked, with a little added interest that he couldn't quite explain. Maybe he just liked to hear her talk.

"Well… We're supposed to write a report based on the Japanese standpoint in World War II right? Namely the bombing of Pearl Harbor, and the dropping of the atomic bomb on Nagasaki and Hiroshima. I was thinking, since there are three of us, maybe we should come up with three different arguments based on all three views of the war. One of us could represent the Japanese, another the United States, and the other might try to take the view of what a neutral observer might think about everything."

"Hmm… Actually that is a pretty good idea," Ryo admitted. "It's nice to see you do have a few brains to go along with all that brawn."

"If you don't watch your mouth, that brawn is going to kick your butt all over campus!" A small smile took a bit away from the idle threat.

"I'm quivering with fear," Ryo muttered without even blinking.

Gohan just had to smile as he watched his two friends bicker back and forth. It was an amazing sight really, for Videl wouldn't have let anyone else talk to her the way that Ryo did, nor would anyone dare. Ryo was the one exception to the rule, and they didn't waste an opportunity to bust each other's chops. Almost a brother-sister like relationship as Gohan observed it. "That's a great idea Videl. But who's going to take what role?…"

Videl put her pen back up to her mouth. "That's a good question…"

"I'll play the neutral side," Ryo announced quickly. "I like the challenge of looking at it from numerous perspectives."

"Okay… I'll do the American side then, since it'll be the most awkward," Gohan volunteered. "That is unless you'd rather take it Videl."

"No, I'm fine with that. I'll take Japan. I guess it's all settled then…"

"Maybe we should discuss what our natural views are, and take it from there," Gohan suggested. "Why don't you start off Videl? I mean, what might you think if you were a Japanese citizen back during the time when the US dropped the A-bombs?"

Videl frowned, that question hitting very close to home. "How would you think I'd feel?! It was one of the most hideous and cowardly attacks in the history of modern warfare! They weren't just waging war on the Japanese military, they attacked everyone from our women, children, right down to our dogs and cats! Not only did they destroy two cities and kill thousands of people, the descendents of the people who survived were forced to suffer for years to come! It was complete total warfare, and there's nothing anyone could tell me that could justify that!"

"You have some good points, but the Americans could say the same thing about Pearl Harbor," Gohan countered after taking a moment to think it over. I'm sure they view that as a cowardly attack where a lot of un-expecting people were killed. Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to compare one to the other, or trying to justify either attack in any way. I'm only trying to look at both sides of it."

"I guess that makes sense…" Videl's brow sunk. "I still don't like it though. What do you think Ryo?"

Ryo remained silent for a moment, slumped over in his seat. Finally, he stood upright and stretched a bit before giving his take on the situation. "I'll tell you what I think. All of it is pointless. War is just a senseless cycle of bloodshed and hatred with the potential to linger on for years afterward as long as people remember. Japan and the US are supposedly close allies now and trade partners, but there are those people who'll resent each other their entire lives for those exact reasons. It's all ridiculous when you think about. If the US was in Japan's situation when they bombed Pearl Harbor, you can bet your pony tails that they would've bombed one of our naval bases if they felt war with us was inevitable, and if Japan had the bomb towards the end of the war then the Emperor of that era wouldn't have wasted a breath ordering it dropped on US cities if it would put an end to the war and save Japanese lives. Everyone's running around screaming this group of people is horrible for doing something to us that we would've done to them if the roles were reversed. Not that I can blame them however. World Leaders can claim they're going to war for self-dense, or to protect another country, but there's always the bottom line hidden somewhere. Everyone has something they want to gain. Sometimes it's necessary, but most of the time it's just suits hiding behind desks trying to throw their weight around by sending out people they consider expendable to shoot each other all in hopes of saying our people are better then yours. It's just the way the world works, always has, and probably always will."

Ryo stifled a yawn, and waited for a response from his classmates that never came. Wondering why they were so quiet, Ryo looked across at them to find them both staring at him with their mouths hanging open. Ryo's brow twitched a bit in confusion, while a light pink spread across his cheeks. "Why are you guys looking at me like that?"

Gohan and Videl gaped at him another second or two, before looking back at each other. Videl looked back at Ryo and smiled. "I think you just wrote our intro."

"Yeah, that was really good," Gohan agreed, but also considering something was a bit off. "The only problem is, that's more of Ryo's view of the situation than how a neutral country might look at it."

"Well, that's what you asked me wasn't it?" Ryo asked, with a slight twinge of nervousness in his voice. The boy was obviously embarrassed about something. "I'll have to do a little research into the subject before I can say what a neutral leader might think. I should go find a book on Switzerland or something, I'll be right back."

"Remind me to tell him to write that down when he gets back," Videl asked Gohan after Ryo had made his hasty exit. "We really have to use that."

"I'll be sure to, I just hope he can remember everything he just said… I wonder what he got so embarrassed over though? It looked to me like he was just itching for an excuse to get as far away from us as he could."

"Well, you know how shy he can get at times. I really think he just hates it when someone has their attention on him, or he might have thought he said something stupid. He's dead wrong if he thinks that though. I know it sounds odd, but he doesn't strike me as the kind of person who takes praise very well…" Videl groaned softly, and gently rubbed at her temples. "Oh, my head hurts… Maybe it's time we took a break or something."

"Sounds good to me," Gohan said, a curious smile forming on his lips. "Why don't we talk about something unrelated to school for a while? At least until Ryo comes back. Like maybe something about yourself…"

Videl's brow furrowed. "About me? What for?"

"Well, I just find you interesting I guess. I'd like to know more about what it's like to be the daughter of the man who saved the world from Cell…" No matter how hard he practiced, Gohan always gagged every time he spoke that hideous lie aloud.

Videl blushed a bit at first, but that look quickly formed into a scowl. "There isn't much to talk about… It's just like being the daughter of any other man who's never home, out partying all night, or who hangs out with easy women who aren't fit to be anything but five dollar hookers on some street corner! My dad just happens to be rich, and world famous that's all."

  
"Ouch… From the sound of things you must not get along too well with your dad huh?"

"No, not really… I love my dad, and we get along for the most part though we disagree on a lot of things. It's just that… Our relationship isn't what it use to be… We were so close when I was little… I remember when he use to take me out fishing at least once a month, take me camping, or when we'd just sit in the back yard with mother and watch the sunset. Then after mother died, and father won the Marital Arts Tournament and eventually defeated Cell, everything changed. All of a sudden he didn't have time for me anymore. He was still around in that big old house, but he was never really there anymore. Now the only time he ever seems to want me around is when he needs to pull some publicity stunt to show the Earth it's biggest hero is a proud father. Don't get me wrong, I know he still loves me, but he's lost in this strange new world. I can only hope that one day somebody pops that ego of his, and brings him back down to Earth enough for him to remember that I am his *daughter*, not a promotional gimmick!"

Poor Videl… I never thought letting Hercule take the credit for defeating Cell would hurt anybody… I guess I was wrong. Don't worry Videl, I might just decide to pop his bubble for you one of these days. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't had said anything like that… I didn't mean to open up any old wounds…"

"Don't sweat it Gohan. It actually feels good to talk about it to someone every once in a while… I don't even know why I rambled on like that, I guess I kind of needed to get it off my chest." All at once that far off look in her eyes suddenly transformed into one of curiosity as they changed their direction towards Gohan. "Okay, what about you? It's your turn to spill now. So tell me… How come you never attended public school before this semester?"

"Because there wasn't any schools around the little mountain village I live in," Gohan stated matter of factly. "I was taught at home by my mother most of my life."

"True, but why start all of the sudden though? From the sound of things, and judging by your book smarts she did one hell of a job of it. If home school was working out so well for you then why enroll in public school at all, especially when you have to commute so far to come here?!"

"It wasn't exactly my idea. It was my mother's… You see my mom was pretty tough on me when it came to my education even when I was as young as five, but even without that there weren't exactly too many people living in my little village that consists of exactly one house! I tended to get depressed a lot, and mom thought it would be good for me to get out in the world and…" Gohan stopped in mid-sentence, worried he had said too much.

Videl's brow furrowed slightly, curiosity mixing in with a tiny bit of concern. "Depressed? What do you have to be depressed about?"

Gohan wanted to tell her… Well, he didn't want to tell her per say, but felt he owed something to her. She had shared a rather deep fact about her personal life that was obviously difficult for her to talk about, and Gohan really wanted to return that favor. However, he just wasn't ready to scratch at the scab that had formed over that old wound just yet. He just wasn't strong enough at the present time. "I'm sorry Videl, but I need to learn to watch what comes out of my mouth in the future. That's not something I'm ready to talk about… It's a real touchy subject for me, so if we could just leave it at that for now… Please?"

Videl frowned obviously not that thrilled with the idea, but she nodded her head regardless. "Alright… I can respect that… Just as long as you tell me eventually. You know I'm just going to keep dogging you until you do?"

Gohan's grin spread from ear to ear. "Don't I know it!"?

"You two can finish flirting later," Ryo interrupted them, holding a large stack of books in his arms.

"We weren't flirting Ryo," Videl scowled, a light pink attacking her cheeks.

"Sure you weren't." With a smile, Ryo dropped a large pile of books on the table.

Gohan examined the reading material Ryo had just dropped in front of them, not just because he couldn't see over the top of that mountain. He noticed a couple books based on WWII, and two geography books with England and Italy on the cover. "What's with all the different books Ryo?"

"Well, I got thinking. Videl's idea was great, but I think we should take it one step further. Instead of just focusing on how all-neutral countries in general might have viewed the events at the beginning and end of World War II, I thought maybe we should include a paragraph or two regarding how all the major countries involved might have been thinking come the end of the war. Whether it was Allies, Axis, or a neutral observer. It'll be slightly more difficult, but should be no less fun. It's better then just the same old, same old boring ten page essays retelling the same tired old facts over and over again. So, what do you guys think?"

"I think it's wonderful!" Videl beamed. Gohan grinned, and nodded his head in agreement. "You always have to go all out don't you?"

"It's the only way to go, or your wasting your time," Ryo replied with an all too simple smile.

********

Gohan flew home with a big smile plastered across his face. He'd been thinking a lot about Videl's idea for their history project and… Ah, who was he kidding, he'd been flat out thinking about Videl. There was something about her that made him want to smile every time he thought about her. He'd been noticing little things about her he didn't see the first time he met her, and couldn't understand why others didn't seem to notice at all. Like just how dazzling her smile could be the few times she let it show without it looking like some cocky smirk, or how by the third time he looked at her he realized just what a looker she really was. How her eyes seemed to glow when she was curious, and just how cute she looked when she was mad which happened quite frequently. One of his more guilty observations, one that always brought a blush to his cheeks, was on the rare occasions Videl would leave her shorts and baggy shirts in the closet, and come to school in a plain t-shirt and jeans. More then once he caught himself admiring how her jeans hugged and showed off the firm shape of her rear end. Hey, Gohan was a gentleman, but he wasn't perfect.

Gohan wasn't exactly sure what he was feeling, but whatever it was he decided he liked it. Liked it a lot actually. He didn't know where he wanted to take if from there, until maybe he found out a little more about it first. Hopefully, he could learn a lot more about Videl along the way as well. 

With his attention clearly wandering, Gohan failed to notice that someone had been flying beside him for about a minute or so. "Hey Gohan, you awake over there?"

Gohan snapped out of his trance once the voice rang in his ear, along with a gentle tapping at his shoulder. Gohan nearly performed a mid-air barrel roll when he realized just whom it was flying along side of him. "Ryo?! What are you doing up here?!"

"I'm conducting and orchestra, what does it look like I'm doing?"

Gohan shook off the shock, and smiled at his fellow aerodynamic classmate. "Sorry, you kind of caught me off guard, but with your Ki level so high I guess I should've figured you would know how to fly."

"I could say the same about you," Ryo said, while the high winds slapped his fluffy brown hair around. "This would explain how you get back and forth from home to school. A normal five hour drive is only a good thirty minutes through the air if you're fast enough."

"Right on the money as usual Ryo. Say, I've never bumped into you up here before? Do you fly home from school yourself?"

"Nah, I live kind of far off myself, but I don't usually bother to fly. The area where I live is rather crowed, and it would be careless to try to land there. Too much of a chance on being seen. Besides, I don't have much to do once I get home, so I just walk the hour so home to kill time."

"I see…" Gohan said. He felt a little angry with himself at the moment for being rather careless while flying around the city himself.

"Look, this was nice, but I didn't fly over to you to make small talk," Ryo began. "I wanted to talk to you about Videl."  
  
Gohan's face burned bright red. "Videl?!… Umm… Whatever for?"

Ryo smiled, noticing the blush creeping across Gohan's cheeks. "Oh man I knew it. You have a crush on her don't you Gohan?"

"WHAT?! NO!" Gohan shrieked like Ryo had just accused him of shooting the president. "We're just friends Ryo, I don't like her or anything!"

"Yeah sure, but there'll be a more appropriate time to discuss that." Ryo's expression suddenly fell deadly serious. "I came here to warn you about something I thought you might be interested in. I think Videl might run into some trouble this evening. There's something going on downtown this evening around six o'clock, and if I know Videl she'll throw herself right into the middle of it. Just thought I'd tell you incase you want to keep an eye our for her."

"Well, of course but…" Gohan's brow creased with confusion. "I'm going to assume your telling me the truth, but I want to know how in the world do you know this is going to happen if it does?"

"I have my sources Gohan, that's all I can tell you right now." With that Ryo broke away from Gohan, and speed off towards the south. 

Gohan boomed to a halt in mid-flight. "RYO WAIT!" Surprisingly, Ryo slowed to a stop, and looked back at Gohan from a good distance away. "You need to tell me what's going on here?! How can you expect me to believe you, if you can't tell me how you know Videl's going to be in danger?!"

"You'll just have to take my word for it!" Ryo shouted back. "Trust me, you'll live to regret it if you don't! I know it's a hard pill to swallow, but please understand why I can't tell you just yet. There are a few things about me I don't wish to put out into the open, even to you or Videl just yet. You should be able to understand that more then anyone Gohan, I know for a fact you have some secrets of your own you don't want anyone else to know about. You'll find out all about me soon enough, so until then you just have to trust me okay? I'm sorry but I have to run. I'll see you later Gohan."

Gohan didn't bother to stop him again, and fought off the urge to chase after him. Ryo did have an excellent point, and Gohan did understand where he was coming from. Still, that didn't mean he had to like it. He decided to leave the subject be for now, and not pry into the boy's business. He'd find out everything he wanted to know eventually, he'd make sure of that. His only hope was that it would be soon. Ryo's head games were really getting under his skin.

Besides, there were more important things to worry about at the moment. For one he needed to get home before his mother started to worry, and two there was the situation with Videl. He had two hours before the clock turned six. He didn't see any reason for Ryo to lie to him about something like that, nor would he take the chance that he was, and he wasn't about to standby and do nothing if Videl truly was in danger. What is it about Ryo? Whatever it is I need to find out soon, but he's driving me up the wall! I wonder what sort of trouble Videl's going to get herself into this time? There's no telling… Oh well, I guess there's only one way to find out.

----------

Within the next ten minutes Gohan was already walking through his front door, an incredibly quick trip even for him. His mother just happened to be in the kitchen preparing that evenings dinner, when Gohan tried to rush past her. "There you are Gohan! I've been waiting for you. I want to know if you could do me a favor?"

"What?… Well, I guess, but it really depends. I'm in a bit of a rush…"

"Well whatever it is, it's going to have to wait for now," Chi-chi said sternly. "I need you to fly over to Bulma's and pick up your brother. She's held up in the lab at the moment and doesn't have time to bring him home, and Kami knows Vegeta isn't going to get off his butt and bring him back."

"But mom I…" Gohan started to argue, but stopped after analyzing the situation further. Capsule Corp. wasn't all that far away, Gohan could get there in no time if he really booked it. He could fly there real quick, grab Goten, be back in time for dinner, and be left with plenty of time to track down Videl and keep an eye on her just in case Ryo's warning held any real weight. "It's that all? Sure, that shouldn't be a problem. I'll get right on it."

"Thanks sweetheart. If you hurry you guys should probably get back in time for dinner…" Chi-chi started, unaware her son was already out the door. Chi-chi's first hints were the loud sonic boom that roared through the house, and a bright ball of light that could only be her son flying through the sky, that she saw out of the kitchen window. "Goodness, he's sure in a hurry. Wonder what's up with him?"

Gohan made a beeline straight for Capsule Corp., and in no time he was already knocking on the Briefs front door. Bulma greeted him with a cheery smile, as she invited him inside. "Nice to see you too Bulma, I'm here to pick up Goten. Hope the little scamp hasn't been too much trouble for you. Where is he anyway?"

Bulma dismissed the issue with a wave of her hand. "Don't worry about him, he's nothing I can't handle. Right now he's in the gravity room with Vegeta and Trunks, but they should be out any minute now. I swear, you Sayian's must have a built in alarm clock that goes off whenever dinner's ready."

Gohan cocked his eyebrow in surprise. "Gravity room?! You mean Vegeta is actually letting Goten train with them?!"

Bulma nodded her head. "Uh-hum. Actually he's been rather insistent on it. This has been going on for a while, I'm surprised Goten hasn't mentioned something to you about it yet."

"No, he hasn't… Vegeta huh? It's probably a good thing he hasn't said anything about it. If mom knew about this, she'd have a coronary!"

In the meantime, a proud warrior fought to hold his body upright against the force of 150 times the Earth's gravity. Training his body had always been relatively easy for Vegeta, hell he was dangerously close to being the most powerful living being on that side of the universe. However, his mind had proved a much more difficult beast to tame. Particularly these human emotions that had infected his soul like the plague, slowly turning him into something that at one time he never thought he could ever be. Human. The mere sound of that made his skin crawl at one time, but now-a-days it truly seemed at times that he was a much human as he was Sayian.

He once was the ultimate Sayian warrior wasn't he? Completely void of all useless emotion, he could wipe all life off an entire planet without a second thought. The end of the world for the people of that planet, but to Vegeta it was merely Wednesday and another day at the office. Now here he was tied down with a family, and one he'd have to admit that he wouldn't trade anything in the universe for. Not even a chance to revive his once proud race that now only consistent of four. Instead of the role of a solider looking to destroy and terrorize, he had transformed into a warrior trying to protect his home. The thing that scared him most was, at that point in time… He just really didn't care anymore. 

One thing still troubled him though, or two things if you must be completely accurate. Two emotions he'd been experiencing that no full-blooded Sayian should've been crippled with. What did the humans call them? Remorse… Or guilt maybe? Vegeta had been a destroyer of worlds. The executioner of countless thousands. For the first time in his life he was regretting the planet trade, and almost everything his Sayian race had once stood for. He never cared before, so why know all of the sudden? Why were those old memories suddenly haunting him?

And what about them? Bulma, Gohan, Krillen, and even Kakarot. Why had they all forgiven him so easily? All the lives he had destroyed and taken before their time, and yet they all looked past it like it was nothing. Were they really that weak, or were they merely that strong? How could they forgive him so easily when now he was having difficulty forgiving himself? He was a Sayian damn it! He shouldn't even be the slightest bit phased by these pointless emotions! He shouldn't even care, not one bit! But he did… For whatever reason now he did no matter how hard he tried to fight it. Despite everything, he could see one final chance for redemption. One last crack at atonement. Through the six year old eyes of Kakorot's youngest child. 

"It's been forever since the last time you dropped by Gohan," Bulma said leisurely, offering Gohan a drink that he politely refused. "So tell me, how's school been going? Have the other kids been treating you well?"

Gohan sweat dropped. "Well, the survey's still out on that one. I've gotten a mixed reaction for the most part. I'm still new to this type of life, but I've learned pretty quick that the term *dork* isn't a sign of affection. I have made a couple of good friends though. Of course, it's nothing like the relationship you or Krillen had with my dad, but we've only known each other a little more then a month."

Bulma nodded her head with a smile. "Give it time. It takes a while to build trust and friendships, you can't expect it to happen over night. At least the really strong ones anyway. Say… That doesn't include that Ryo boy Vegeta mentioned does it?"

Gohan sweat dropped again. "So, I see Vegeta's talking to you about him… I was hoping he'd forget all about him by now."

"Are you kidding?!" Bulma scoffed, and put on her best Vegeta impersonation. "The idea of a human with that kind of power is preposterous, let alone a child! He's driving me up the wall, I'm telling you!"

"Ha, ha! Well, next time tell him not to get too bent out of shape about it. I'm not sure how powerful he is yet. He's nothing compared to a Sayian anyway, so I don't see what Vegeta's so worried about. Since when was he ever interested in humans anyway?"

"I'm not, never have been, and never will be!" Vegeta snorted as he walked into the kitchen, wiping the sweat off his face with a towel. "That's the exact problem! The majority of humans are pathetic weaklings, so if this so-called friend of yours is as strong as you think he is then my guess would be that he might not be human at all! Besides that, I know every living being on this planet that knows how to control their Ki, and I don't like the thought of someone running around that I'm not aware of!"

"Come on Vegeta!" Gohan laughed. "Ryo seems pretty human to me. I thought the same thing at first, but he doesn't seem like a threat to me."

"I think you need to look at things more closely Gohan," Vegeta said, without as much hostility as Gohan might have expected from the prince of the Sayians. "This boy could be planning to sweep this planet out from underneath your feet while your rubbing shoulders and playing all chummy with him. Another thing you need to think about is where did he learn to control his Ki in the first place. It's not exactly an ability you can learn from a self-help tape! Somebody had to teach him, and that means there could be more where he came from that we need to deal with."

"Gee, I never even thought about that," Gohan admitted, drifting off a bit to consider all the possibilities. "But still, I'm getting to know him better as we speak. I'm sure I'll find out all about him eventually."

Vegeta humpfed. "I see. Well, your still young yet. Analyzing situations to the letter is an instinct that will develop over time. I wouldn't wait long for this boy if I were you. If you wait too long he might stab you in the back before you know what hits you." With that Vegeta looked towards Bulma. "And as for you woman! I'm going to the bathroom, and my dinner better be on the table when I get back! I'm starving!"

"Sure thing your highness," Bulma jeered as he disappeared from the kitchen. She smiled remembering how a few years ago he really meant that when he said it, but now a days it was more for show in front of one of the few surviving members of his race.

"Is it my imagination, or did Vegeta almost encourage me?" Gohan asked, shock etched into his face. "If I didn't know any better I could almost swear he cared."

"He does care Gohan," Bulma told him. "He might never admit it aloud, and just might put someone's lights out for suggesting it to his face but he still cares."

"I wonder… I will admit he has changed a lot over the years however. He's still crabby old tough as nails Vegeta, only with a bit of a softer edge to him it seems."

"Yeah, he has changed even after the first few years we were married," Bulma sighed, with a dreamy look in her eyes. "You wouldn't believe how gentle he can be at night sometimes, and with Trunks. It's a side of him he'll only show when he's at home. I'm telling you Gohan you wouldn't believe it. In fact, I think this whole tweaking of his personality started right after the Cell Games…"

Gohan's expression quickly drooped. "Yeah… I guess that day changed all of us in some way… At least for Vegeta in a positive way." Wanting to get the subject off the Cell Games and the thoughts of his father as soon as possible, Gohan smiled at Bulma. "When it all comes down to it, I guess we just have to thank a good woman for all of that."

Bulma's cheeks flushed red. "Oh Gohan, you little flirt!"

"Hey, I'm not flirting, I'm telling you the truth!" Gohan said, as he sat up from the table. "Anyhow, I better go rundown Goten and head home. It was nice talking with you Bulma."

"Same to you Gohan. Are you sure you don't want to stay for dinner?"

"No thanks. Mom's in the middle of making dinner herself, and there'll be hell to pay if were not home in time to eat it. Besides, I'm pressed for time this evening. Good-bye Bulma."

"You too Gohan." Bulma waved to him, as he left to search for his younger sibling. "Take care!"

Gohan tracked down Goten a ways down the hall, in the middle of playing a rough game of tag with Trunks that would've killed two lesser boys. After an enthusiastic hug of his older brother, in what probably should've been termed as a strangle hold, and a bit of whining by both knee bitters, they wished Trunks adieu and were on their way. On the flight home, Gohan couldn't help but inquire of Goten about the little tidbit of information Bulma had fed him earlier. 

"So Goten… What's this I hear about you training with Trunks and Vegeta?"

Goten winced like he had just been caught doing something he shouldn't have. "Please don't tell mom about that Gohan. I don't think she'd like it very much."

"Your dead on about that little guy," Gohan laughed. "Don't worry I won't tell. So… What's it like training with Vegeta?"

Goten's expression brightened, his usual cheerful smile creeping across his face. "It's okay. He can be real cranky sometimes, but he's not all that bad."

Gohan smirked. "I see… I'll just have to take your word for it squirt."

********

Videl calmly snuck along the rafters of the old warehouse, eyeing the meeting going down below her. There were at least a dozen of them, most of them cradling machine guns at their sides. It wasn't much of a surprise, the truck they had backed in to the place was loaded with them. That's why Videl was here checking out the place. It was illegal for anyone other then police officers to own a gun in Japan, let alone enough firepower to take over a small country. Videl counted twelve of them in all. Two men wearing suites stood in the center of the group, apparently the negotiators for each side considering one of the men was holding up a suitcase full of money, and the rest appeared to be body guards or goons of each respective side. Truthfully, Videl thought every last one of them looked like they had walked out of a bad gangster movie. She leaned her head as far over the railing as she could without being seen, and just barely picked up the conversation being shared below her.

"I'm telling you, this is some of the finest weaponry ever to come out of the States," the man bragged, as he endorsed his product. "They might know squat about electronics and cars, but when it comes to guns and things your not going to find any better. Gun laws in the States aren't nearly as strict as they are here. Best of all, the serial numbers conveniently disappeared before shipment, so sadly they're untraceable."

"Sounds good," the man with the suitcase admitted. "But the price your asking is ridiculous! 50 million Zeni for a dozen or so firearms? Unless the bullets are made of gold, I don't see how in the world you reached that asking price!"

"Take it or leave it, that's all I have to say. You could be running this town by the end of the month with firepower like I'm offering here. Even Hercule himself isn't bullet proof."

"Not if I have anything to say about it." Hearing all she needed to hear, Videl quietly crept out from her perch, and glided down from the rafters with catlike grace. By the time she neared the floor, she found herself in the next room, a large storehouse filled with large crates Videl could only guess the contents of, and directly above two thugs who were obviously standing guard while the illegal gun deal was going down in the next room. 

Videl hid herself on the railing just above the door the two men were guarding. She would have to act quickly, time was not on her side, and she wasn't exactly the patient type to begin with. The Captain already dispatched an entire swat team that was on the way, but if she could she wanted to avoid the all out shoot out that was bound to break out once they arrived. These didn't seem like the type of crooks that gave up without a fight.

One of the guards tried to snuff out a yawn but failed. "How much longer is this going to take?"

"I don't know. Just give them a few minutes then we can… ERF!" Before the man could finish, something that felt frighteningly similar to a boa constrictor wrapped itself around his neck. Little did he know it was merely the legs of a ridiculously powerful teenaged girl.

"What the hell?!" The other guard turned his head to see Videl perched on top of his partner's shoulders. Or at the very least her balled up fist and knuckles as he received a close up view of them when they slammed into his face, effectively knocking him out cold. 

Before the guard Videl's legs were squeezing the life out of knew what was happening, Videl kicked off his back into the air, and planted a hard kick to the back of his head knocking him silly was well. Videl landed perfectly on her feet, and smirked at the sight of the two unconscious men when the sounds of more voices came from just outside the door.

"What was that?"

"I don't know, we better check it out. Get your guns ready just in case."

"Shit," Videl mouthed, looking for a dark corner or patch on the wall to hide in. Deciding the hell with it, she waited by the side of the door for whoever to come rushing in. Of course the first idiot did just that, and all he received was a sudden kick to the mush for his troubles. His gun went flying forward, while he flew backward landing unconscious to the ground in between the other two men Videl had knocked silly. The second goon was slightly more cautious, but not even one bit luckier. Videl quickly kicked his weapon out of his hands, and before he had time to blink landed a hard forearm right into his gut. The man's face bugged out in typical anime fashion, right before Videl smashed the palm of her hand across his chin. 

Four down, and apparently these guys never learned. Yet another foolish thug came barreling in, and all Videl had to do was reach out and grab the barrel of his gun and yanked it right out of his hands. Videl fired a fast roundhouse at his head, but that's where the tide changed. Apparently this guy knew a little bit about martial arts. He pulled his arm up quickly enough to block Videl's kick, and the follow up punch she aimed at his face. He smirked at Videl, who seemed no less determined despite her first real challenge of the night. "You must be Hercule's kid. I've heard a lot about you bitch."

"Apparently not enough, or you'd be running for life by now, and you definitely wouldn't HAVE CALLED ME A BITCH!" Videl growled, loading her legs for another swing.

Unbeknown to Videl, she had drawn a small captive audience of one watching her fight through the skylight in the roof. Gohan had tracked her down to that old warehouse via her Ki, which really wasn't all that difficult to do. Gohan had a feeling Videl just might be the strongest person on Earth outside of the Z-senshi and Ryo. His original plan was to help her out, whatever the problem might be, upon his arrival, but almost immediately he noticed his help wasn't exactly needed at the moment. He stuck around for two reasons. The most important was being ready just in case she did need some help somewhere down the road, and two… Well, he was kind of stuck in place practically hypnotize as he watched Videl fight. He had to admit she was good, really good for an ordinary human. She could grow to stand among the best of them, if she only knew how to use her Ki. There was something about watching her fight that was getting to him… He hadn't a clue what to call it, but just about anyone else he might ask could tell him straight out. It was turning him on.

After quickly dropping her first four opponents with ease, Gohan noted the fifth seemed to be giving her a bit more trouble. A small twinge of worry shot through his gut, but it only lasted a second or two when Videl clearly began taking control of the fight. Gohan was so focused on checking out Videl's technique, he almost missed the three pathetically small Ki's appear in the room. He didn't think much of them first, knowing Videl could handle the trio with relative ease. That was until he looked twice, and noticed the three men emerging from the shadows… All armed with machine guns, sneaking up on Videl with her none the wiser.

"Keep your ass down!" Videl growled, giving her adversary a devastating kick to the jaw. He hit the ground with a thud, managing a groan in his semi-conscious state. Videl let her guard down, assuming he was down for the count when he surprised her by giggling like an idiot. "What's so funny dirt bag?!"

"Behind you sweet thing…"

Videl was considering kicking his teeth down his throat for that comment, when she heard a gun cock behind her. Nervously, she turned slowly to find a line of three men all pointing guns at her. "Uh oh…"

Videl swore she saw her life flash before her eyes, but it didn't. It was actually shards of glass raining down from the roof, and a golden streak that flashed by the three men. The trio of thugs couldn't decide what surprised them more. The sudden sound of the skylight window shattering above them, or the fact that they all tried to pull triggers that were no longer there. They looked at each other frantically, trying to figure out just what the hell was going on.

"You looking for these boys? What's the matter, did I steal your toys?" The three hoods turned to their right to find some strange looking boy with golden hair holding their weapons in his arms. Gohan quickly emptied the clips out of each of the firearms, and proceeded to smash them into tiny pieces. "They're all yours Videl."

Videl didn't waste time arguing, or inquiring into what the hell had just happened. Before the goon in the middle knew what hit him, Videl was already in his face, landing two punches into it, sandwiched in between a hard left into his gut. The second and third blows were rather pointless considering he was pretty much out of it after the first punch right beneath his left eye. A bit more resourceful then their predecessors, the two remaining crooks didn't wait around for Videl to come to them. One of the men grabbed Videl from behind, locking her arms in a full nelson type hold, while his buddy barreled towards her to aid him. Videl countered this with a simple back kick to the family jewels, and afterwards flipped herself in the air, drop kicking his partner right underneath the chin. She landed flat on her feet, and watched him stagger backward a bit before passing out. Hearing a grunt from behind her back she simply threw her elbow in to the other man's chest, knocking the wind right out of him and probably bruised a rib or two in the process. He slumped to the ground in a heap, and as they say, that was that. 

Or was it. Gohan hadn't moved from the spot he landed in. He had been watching Videl fight, and was practically drooling in the process. Yes, he definitely found something kind of sexy in a woman who knew how to kick a little ass. He remained in his stupor until Videl charged over to him, and in all honesty she didn't exactly look thrilled to see him.

"First of all, I've warned you about sticking your nose in my business mister! I don't need yours, or anybody else's help!" Gohan sweat dropped as Videl pointed her finger in his face. "And second, since you did decide to drop in, why the hell did you just stand there while I did all the work?!"

Gohan smiled, knowing he actually had an answer for that question. "Like you said, you obviously didn't need my help," Gohan replied, pointing out several of the half dozen bodies scattered across the warehouse. "And second I know you don't want my help, so I didn't interfere until I felt I had to. On top of that, to tell you the truth I kind of like watching you fight. You are amazing."

"Don't try to flatter your way out of this!" Videl shouted, merely trying to draw his attention off the blush she knew was forming on her cheeks right then. It was a rather odd feeling, those type of comments usually bounced right off of her. "But I guess… It is kind of a good thing you showed up… Otherwise I might have been swiss cheese by now… I don't know how the hell you flew in from that window, or disarmed those men but… I'll say thanks just this once, but don't get in my way again!"

"Man, you sure have a funny way of showing gratitude…" Gohan started, when his face suddenly hardened. Something didn't feel right.

"What's the matter?" Videl asked, beginning to look around for a sign of anything wrong. 

Gohan wasn't exactly sure himself until he saw the small round object bounce into the room, making several clanks against the floor. 

"What the?…" Videl's eyes widened once she realized just what it was.

"SHIT! HOLD ON VIDEL!" 

Before Videl could respond to Gohan or the grenade, Gohan had already scooped her up and was flying towards the wall at incredible speed. With no immediate exit available, he would just have to make his own. He braced his back, making sure he would take the brunt of the collision instead of Videl, and smashed right through the wall seconds before the bomb exploded. That section of the warehouse lit up in a brilliant blanket of orange and red, blowing out walls, windows, and scattering debris everywhere. The two teens spilled out into the alley, Gohan covering Videl from the debris raining down on them. They laid there with their eyes shut tightly, trying to keep the fast flying dust particles out of their eyes, until the situation finally calmed down. They opened their eyes slowly, and peered into the huge gaping hole in the side of the building. They could now see the flames dancing inside, in addition to already hearing the fire burn and feeling the heat roll off their skin.

"Ack…" Gohan groaned, as he rubbed the back of his head. Something had smacked him in the back of the head while he was shielding Videl. Apparently, the explosion was strong enough to send some piece of debris flying fast enough that it actually inflicted some degree of pain to the young Super Sayian when it made contact with his skull. It wasn't a serious blow, more like an irritating glancing blow. Kind of like the way a normal person might feel after getting whacked over the head a little too hard during a pillow fight. It didn't hurt that much, but it was annoying none the less.

"Are you okay?" Videl asked, checking the back of his head to make sure it hadn't been busted open. Fortunately, his golden locks were untarnished except for some suet and dust from the explosion. Not even a bump or anything else that might tip Videl off to why the heck he grabbed his head like that.

"I'll live…" Gohan removed his hand from his head, and smiled at her. "How about you?"

"Um… I'm fine…" Videl said quietly, almost shyly. She lowered her head a bit, almost as if she was ashamed of what she was thinking. "Uh… Thank you for ah… You know…"

"What was that?! You're actually thanking me?! Your not mad at me for not letting you blow up?"

Videl frowned, and shouted into his face. "DO LIKE THIS BETTER, YOU BIG GOOF!"

Taken back, Gohan smirked. "No, but it's what I'm use too. I'm sorry about the way I said that too… I'm not usually the type to be rude, but you haven't exactly acted warm and friendly towards me either."

"Well you shouldn't be!…" Videl was poised and ready to argue, a retort just raring to roll off her tongue when she noticed something about this boy. Curious, she leaned in close to examine the young man further, they were both still seated on the ground, close enough to where their faces nearly touched. There was something familiar about that goofy grin of his. She'd never seen a pair of turquoise colored eyes before, but still there was something familiar hiding deep inside of them. Something was just flat out familiar about him. "Do I know you from somewhere?"

"Uh… Not that I know of miss," Gohan giggled nervously. 

"Hmm…" Videl murmured, still thinking the matter over when her next words left her lips. "So… What do I call you anyway? I have a feeling I'm going to be seeing a lot more of you whether I like it or not, no matter how many times I tell you to stay away. I don't want to keep calling you Golden Boy or the Gold Fighter all the time. You do have a name don't you?"

"Of course I do, but I can't tell you that. That would kind of defeat the purpose of keeping my identity secret…"

Videl frowned. "And why would you have to keep your identity secret? Just what are you hiding?! Tell me!"

"I'm not hiding anything, I swear it!" Gohan tried to back away, but Videl pounced right back in his face.

"Liar! If your not hiding anything, then why are you sweating?!"

"Well, in case you haven't noticed, the building next to us is burning to the ground, and the flames are rather hot." Gohan and Videl both looked back at the burning warehouse. "Speaking of which, it's probably a good idea for us to get out of here before that fire gets out of hand."

Videl groaned in submission. She knew this guy was dancing around the subject intentionally, but he was right. That fire could spread out of control at any moment, and she didn't have the time to sit there and interrogate him for half the night at the risk of being barbequed. She could always do that later anyway… "Alright…" Videl literally growled. "But I'm not finished with you yet! We might want to get out of sight before the authorities show up and think we had something to do with this… Still, I can't believe they'd nuke their own men like that!"  


"It's not the first time I've seen something like that," Gohan said, thinking about the time he watched Vegeta destroy Napa after his disappointing performance during his fight against his father Goku. "You go ahead and get out of here. I have something I need to take care of right quick."

Confused, Videl's eyes widened in horror when she realized he was heading back into the burning building. "Are you crazy?! What are you doing?! The place can collapse in on itself any moment now!" Videl thought about going in after him, but hesitated. By the time she finally decided to follow him in it was a mute point. Gohan was already rushing back out cradling something in his arms. Curious, Videl peered in to see just what was so important that this golden fighter would take the risk of rushing into a burning building to retrieve. Gohan loosened his grip considerably, and a pair of fuzzy triangular ears on a tiny head poked out of the little crevasse between Gohan's chest and arms.

"A cat!" Videl chuckled in disbelief. "You risked your neck rushing back into a burning building to rescue a cat?!"

"Hey, it's another living thing isn't it? I wasn't in all that much danger anyway, and this little guy would've been toast if I hadn't pulled him out of the there. There wasn't any decision to make as far as I'm concerned."

"But…" Videl's mouth was open all but prepared to argue that point, when Gohan shut her up by placing the small white and black kitten in her arms. She looked at the kitten, and then up at Gohan, her hard and questioning expression changing into one that was soft and curious. "I guess I see your… You are something else aren't you?"

"You have no idea." Before Videl could get another word in, Gohan had already taken to the air quickly zooming off like a little blur into the night sky.

"WAIT! YOU STILL NEVER TOLD ME WHAT TO CALL YOU!" Videl sighed in defeat, and looked down at the little feline she still held in her arms. The small kitten stared up at her with large eyes, not much different from that of a two year old looking up to their mother for guidance. There was a time in her life when she hated cats with a passion, but all she could do right now was smile at the small bundle of fur in her arms. "Well, I guess I can't leave you out in the cold. I'll take you home for now until I can find a decent home for you."

As Videl would soon discover, the police had arrived on the scene not long after the explosion, the sounds of the grenade going off and the fire had drowned out the sirens, and had intercepted the rest of the criminals involved in that little gun fiasco. It seemed like they finally managed to do their job themselves without having Videl there to change their diapers. However, that was the farthest thing from her mind at the moment. Her thoughts were squarely set on the young man she knew only as *Golden Boy*, or the *Gold Fighter*. Stupid nicknames she was forced to use because of his refusal to give her an actual name to go by. Still, she had a fairly good idea who he really was already. She looked down at the little ball of fur in her arms once again, her smile brimming with confidence.

"I guess I'm obsessing over nothing… I'll catch on to him eventually. The only downside I can find is that if he really is who I think he is, then I might have to go easier on him. On the small chance that he isn't, I hate to admit it but I guess he's not all bad… Oh well, let's go home kitty."

End.


	5. Chapter 5

__

Warning!: This chapter is kind of short, and is pretty much nothing more then fluff. My specialty! Actually this isn't as sappy as I'm notorious for getting, I think it actually comes across rather tolerable for the average reader. I promise things will get much, much worse later on. Well, read on and enjoy for now!

Chapter Five

Two weeks had passed since the incident at the warehouse, and Videl hadn't seen hide nor hair of the Gold Fighter, the name she reluctantly settled on referring to him as for now, since that night. He hadn't appeared to help her out during any of the close to a dozen police cases she'd been called in to help out on, not that any of them were life threatening or anything she couldn't handle. Not that she was complaining he was staying out of the way either, after all he was simply a burden that risked screwing up an entire operation by getting in the way, but there wasn't any way she could expose who he really was if he was never around to expose. However, these thoughts were more of a distraction to get her mind off of what this black day really meant in her young life. Anything to get her mind off of that…

Lunch time had rolled around surprisingly quick on a day that usually limped along at a snails pace for Videl. She was sitting at a table along with Erasa and several of her other *fair weather friends*, the nicest term she could come up with to describe them. It wasn't her choice mind you, she usually sat with Gohan and Ryo, but it seemed that at least once a week Erasa managed to abduct her and drag her against her will to the same table she suffered through for almost a year and a half. Sharpner had been absent from school that day, so at least he wasn't there to be another pain in he ass. She suffered quietly, and pretended to listen to whatever ramblings the girls might go on about. 

While she humored Erasa and the others, Videl found herself staring on and off at Gohan through most of the lunch period. Some time ago he forced herself to admit he was rather cute, hell down right gorgeous, but that wasn't the reason she was staring. However, the energetic teen sitting next to her noticed and didn't see things that way.

"You know, if you stare at him any harder your going to burn a hole through Gohan's head," Erasa teased her, giggling as Videl blushed when she snapped out of her doldrums.

"I wasn't staring! I was just…" Videl quit right then realizing she hadn't any decent excuses to defend herself. "So what, even if I was staring?! That's my business, not yours!"

"Sure whatever." Erasa shook her head. "I thought you guys were friends now? If you really like the guy all you have to do is tell him."

Videl's cheeks singed red, one out of anger and one from embarrassment. "Get a life Erasa! I don't like him! I don't have time for that kind of thing, and even if I did I wouldn't be wasting time on a guy! Besides, I don't need anyone anyway!"

"Well, if you say so… Tell me though, if you don't like him then why are you staring at him?"

"Well I… I was just thinking…"

"Thinking about what?"

Videl turned her head back towards Gohan. "Well Erasa… This might be a strange question but… How do you think Gohan would look with blond hair?"

Erasa created a mental picture in her head. Sadly, there was plenty of room up there to utilize the free space in this manner. "Well, now that you mention it… I guess he'd make a cute blond too, don't you think?"

"Yeah…" Videl blushed, and sunk her head once she realized what she had said. She could almost feel Erasa smiling beside her. "I mean no! I… Ah, forget I said anything!"

----------

Videl sighed, and sunk into her chair. Gohan had noticed her acting this way most of the day, especially after lunch, and he was beginning to worry. "Are you okay Videl? You seem kind of depressed this morning."

Videl sighed again, not bothering to look up at him. "Don't worry about it Gohan… I'm not going to lie and pretend I'm little miss cheerful, but if it's all the same to you I don't want to talk about it."

"Okay… If that's what you want, I'll leave you alone then."

"Thank you."

Gohan looked up at Ryo who sat behind him. Ryo had noticed the same things in Videl that Gohan had over the course of the day, and had just overheard the conversation they had just shared. Gohan looked at him as if to ask if he knew what was wrong with her. Ryo shrugged his shoulders to let Gohan know he hadn't the slightest clue either. Gohan did as he promised, and left her alone for the remainder of that period, which just happened to be the last class of the day anyhow. Videl appeared to make motions to say something to him a time or two, but stopped before any words escaped her lips. 

Before long, the final bell rang signaling the end of the long school day prompting the majority of the class to jump out of their seats in celebration, and into a rush towards the door and the sweet air of freedom. Gohan, on the other hand, was perfectly fine with sitting up and walking out the door as usual, and was just about to do that when he noticed Videl hadn't moved an inch even though the bell had rung. She was leaning back in her seat, her hands behind her hand and staring up at the ceiling. She was quite noticeably spaced out, and interesting sight for Gohan who had never seen her this way before. Zoned out, deep in thought, and seemingly uninterested in the world around her.

Gohan sighed after standing over her a good minute or so, and it was painfully obvious she didn't even notice he was still there. Seeing Videl depressed wasn't a sight Gohan saw often either, and quickly decided he didn't like it one bit. He didn't care to see anyone unhappy, but seeing Videl in this state hit him much harder and in a spot he couldn't remember ever being touched before. Gohan reached over and waved his hand in front of her, and the girl finally took notice that he was even on the same planet as she was.

"Huh?… Hey Gohan, what's up?"

"You tell me, you were the one staring at the ceiling. You know class is over don't you Videl? Thus meaning school's over, so unless your planning to sleep in…"

"Oh, I guess I didn't notice. Thanks for the newsflash," Videl said sharply, as she leaned back in her seat. She sighed, and felt the area around the base of her neck. Apparently whatever she was looking for was missing. Videl's eyes snapped open, as she patted along the base of her neck. Frantic, she bolted up from her seat and tore through her book bag, and then combed the floor in her immediate area desperately searching for whatever it was she had lost.

"What's the matter Videl, did you lose something?" Gohan heard her mumble something incoherently. The only words he picked up on where *can't find* and *locket*. Gohan traced through some recent memories, and thought he knew what she was talking about. It was just a simple little locket, a gold chain with a star hanging in the middle. He remembered noticing it once before and asking her about it. She showed it to him, but for whatever reason refused to tell him where she got it from. The old thing didn't look worth much to Gohan, so he couldn't understand why the girl was tarring up the class room looking for it.

"I'm sure it'll turn up Videl, there's no need to go psychotic over it. Even if it doesn't, I don't think it's worth all that much. I'm sure you could pick up another one really cheap if it means that much to you. It's really no big deal if you don't find it…" Something Gohan said must've hit one of Videl's buttons for she glared up at him with a look she only gave when she was really truly angry. Gohan backed off, recognizing the look immediately, and prepared himself for the tongue lashing he was certain would follow.

"It may look like it's worth nothing to you, but you have no idea what it's worth to me! You have no idea what that locket means to me, so if you don't care then just get out of my way you insensitive jerk!" Videl shoved Gohan out of her way, and went flying out the door. Gohan stared after her completely perplexed by what he'd just seen. That couldn't have been tears he saw in her eyes could it?

********

After several hours of searching the school grounds in vain, Videl retraced her steps all the way back home. After tarring through the house, searching through every nook and cranny she might have wandered past that morning, ending with her bedroom. Staring at the wreckage her search had left in its wake, Videl came to terms with the realization that her locket just might be gone for good. She slumped down onto her bed, fighting with every ounce of resolve she had against the tears attacking the backs of her eyelids. She was determined not to cry… She'd done enough crying over her, and Videl knew she wouldn't be happy if she shed another tear over her. She'd want her to be strong, and battle through the pain instead of succumbing to it, just like the way she had always taught her. 

Willing to try anything to get her mind off of the situation, she ventured down to the kitchen only to realize, once she got there, she wasn't hungry in the least. Broken spirited and all around just plain tired of looking, she slumped onto the stool set up next to the counter, and buried her face into her hands. It couldn't have been more then a minute or two before one of the Satan household's man servants waltzed into the kitchen, carrying a large empty pot in his hands while whistling a tune from his native country. He took notice of Videl moping over the kitchen island, and walked over to the girl after setting down the pot next to the stove.

"Are you alright Miss Videl?" he asked, legitimately concerned. "I take it you couldn't find your locket?"

Videl raised her head up briefly to look at the man who she was just now noticing had entered the room. James had been a servant at the Satan household for what seemed like forever to Videl, and she had grown to look up to the man like an uncle. He was the typical stereotype of a butler you'd see on most movies and TV shows. Tall with thinning black hair, and an British accent to boot which just made this job seem all to perfect for him. She was also well aware that James wasn't very fond of her father, she couldn't blame him because of the way Hercule treated most of the time, but he absolutely adored Videl. Sometimes she thought she was the only reason he didn't storm off and quit a long time ago. James had always said that she reminded him a lot of his own daughter, minus all the martial arts stuff, who had passed away from TB years before. She sighed, and hid her forehead back into her hands. "No James, I haven't. I've looked everywhere! I just don't know where else it might be!"

"I'm sure it'll turn up somewhere my lady, but your not going to find it sitting here with your head hanging! This is so unlike you Videl to just roll over and give up! Why don't you take a walk in the park to clear your head, or something to that nature. Some fresh air might do you some good."

Videl's head perked up. James was right after all, on both counts. "Maybe your right… I think I'll go do that. Thank you James."

"Of course my lady. Just make sure your back before eight in time for supper."

Videl's brow furrowed. "Eight? Why so late?"

James groaned and rolled his eyes. "Your father insisted on boiled beef stew for his meal this evening. I finished it some time ago, but he grumbled something about there being too many carrots and not enough corn or something, and ordered me to trash it and start again from scratch."

Videl grunted sympathetically. "I'm sorry, I know he can be overly picky sometimes. You could give him a golden egg and he'd complain because the glare was hurting his eyes. Don't worry, he'll eat eventually when he gets hungry enough."

"I know…" James sighed muttering the rest of his response under his breath. "Most animals do after all…"

********

"I really screwed up Ryo… I swear, I was only trying to calm her down, I didn't mean to set her off like that. If I knew how much that locket meant to her I never would've tried to pass it off as nothing!"

Ryo listened intently as Gohan recapped his little incident with Videl earlier that afternoon. "There's no way you could've known about it Gohan, so don't beat yourself up about it. You know about Videl's temper. Just give her time to calm down, and apologize to her later."

"I will, but that doesn't do me any good right now! I still feel like crap… I guess that locket held a lot of sentimental value to her. Maybe it was a gift from some guy she likes, or a relative or something."

Ryo laughed out loud at this. "You may be on to something with the relative theory, but I can almost assure you it's not from some sort of mystery boyfriend or anything. The only guy I'm sure she's ever really had any interest in is you."

Gohan's cheeks flushed pink. "Don't start that Ryo, she does not! The way she acts towards sometimes makes me wonder if she can even stand me at all."

"Come on Gohan, you know better then that! She can get slightly hostile at times, but that's just her personality. She's nicer to you then she is to most people, you know."

"Yeah… I'd hate to be someone she doesn't like then."

"Look… If your really that worried about it…" Ryo reached into his pocket, and pulled out a small golden chain. Ryo presented the golden object to Gohan who immediately recognized it as Videl's locket. "I found this outside just after school let out. Part of the chain snapped off, so I'm assuming that's how Videl lost it. I was going to return it to her myself, but now I figure it would be better if you take it her. Give you a chance to redeem yourself in her eyes."

Gohan didn't have to be told twice. He accepted Ryo's offer with a smile, and carefully placed the locket in his pocket. "Thanks Ryo. I owe you one for this… Say you don't happen to know where Videl lives do you?"

"Why do you need to know that? Just lock onto her Ki, and follow it to her."

Gohan sweat dropped. "Oh yeah, I can do that can't I? Guess it slipped my mind."

Ryo smiled assuming he knew what *other things* Gohan's mind had most likely wandered to. "So, I see. Besides, it wouldn't do you any good to go to Videl's house, because I doubt she'd be home right now. If I know Videl she's probably spending some time in the park as we speak to get all her thoughts in order. The poor girl's probably going nuts over losing that thing, and battling with emotions like that isn't something Videl's use to."

Gohan didn't bother to inquire to how he knew Videl would be at the park, he knew he wouldn't get a straight answer after all. He wasn't going to argue with him either, Ryo hadn't been wrong about anything else he had told Gohan recently such as the incidents at the warehouse and with Rico. That didn't mean he wasn't still curious to why Videl was so broken up over that thing, and hoped Ryo could give him a little insight to why. "Hey Ryo. You don't happen to know why this locket is so important to Videl do you?"

"Actually I do." Ryo blushed guiltily. "I got a little too nosy for my own good, but read the inscription on the back of the locket."

Seeing no problem with it, Gohan removed the locket from his pocket, and read the inscription on the back of the star as Ryo had suggested. "To My Dearest Videl, Happy Birthday, Love Mom…." 

"I'm sure you already know what happen to her mother…"

Gohan wanted to slap himself. Instead he merely groaned, and placed the gold chain back in his pocket. "No wonder she got so upset with… She probably feels the same way about her mother as I do about…" Gohan paused, not wanting to say anything about his father out loud to Ryo. Lucky for him, Ryo chose not to pry into it. "I feel like a real jerk now."

"Well get over it, and go find her," Ryo stated simply. "You've got the locket, and you've wasted enough time standing here talking to me. Go find her already!"

"Your right… Thanks again Ryo. I'll see you later."

********

It wasn't much, just a little wooded grove a short walk away from the main bulk of the park. Not many people came this way if any, and tonight was no exception. It was only Videl and a few night owl squirrels, which she ignored as she stared up into the starry night sky. That's why she loved this place. She could come here whenever she wanted to be alone and think, free from the hassle and intrusion of other human life. At least that's what she thought anyway, but it was rather hard to hide from someone who could track you down just by sensing the extent of your energy.

"Well fancy meeting you here," a voice said, as he crept up behind Videl. She bounced up from her back into a sitting position, completely taken by surprise to find someone else in her private spot, and even more surprised to discover just who it was.

"Gohan! What are you doing here?! How in the world did you find me out here?!"

"Gee, I'm not sure… Would you believe I tracked you down by homing in on your life force, and it led me here?"

Videl cocked an eyebrow and smiled. "Of course not! That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard!"

"That's what I thought you'd say," Gohan sighed, as he sat down beside her. Well, he tried to tell her truth, but as he expected she didn't believe him. If he had bothered to look her in the face at any point, he would've noticed her cheeks flush slightly as he sat down next to her. "I guess I was just lucky enough to stumble across you then."

"Really now…" Videl didn't exactly like the thought of someone else knowing about her *spot*, but if someone had to have discovered it she was glad it was Gohan. She wasn't sure why that was, maybe it was something… No that couldn't be it. "What exactly do you mean by lucky?"

"Well, I was hoping to run into you. I found something this afternoon I think might belong to you…" Gohan paused as he fished around in his pocket, deciding against taking credit for something he didn't do. "Actually, Ryo found it, and gave it to me to give back to you."

Gohan presented the locket to Videl, and just seeing the way her eyes lit up when she saw it would've been thanks enough for him. The bright smile that soon followed didn't hurt either. Something about her expression made his heart flutter, overflowing with some deep seated sense of satisfaction. This was truly one time where a good deed was it's own reward. However, Gohan was going to receive a nice bonus regardless that he was satisfied or not.

"Oh thank you Gohan!" Videl wept with joy, after snatching the object from his hand. She threw her arms around his neck in a tight embrace, one that might have been a little overreaction for anyone else, but down right sinful for Satan Videl. Gohan wasn't complaining though. A light pink spread across his cheeks, along with a quirky grin his mother would've slapped him for wearing, as he returned the hug. He felt her give one last little squeeze before letting go. If he had been anyone less, Gohan thought, she probably would have strangled him to death by then. "Thank you so much! You have no idea how much this locket means to me…"

"Actually, I think I do…" Gohan said almost in a whisper. "So, your mother gave that to you huh?"

Gohan's heart sunk a bit when Videl's cheerful expression drastically saddened. He had expected that, but it still bothered him none the less. "Well yes, but how did you?…"

"I read the inscription on the back," Gohan answered her question before she could finish. "I'm sorry about that, and for what I said to you earlier today."

Videl nodded her head to tell him she understood, and took another look at her treasure. "Oh it's broken again… Oh well, it's not like it's the first time. The thing is kind of old. I'll just have to get it fixed again…"

Gohan noted how soft and sad her tone of voice was now. "Hey… Please tell me if I'm getting to nosey, but I have a question… This day… It's the anniversary of your mother's death isn't it?"

Videl tightened up as Gohan expected, and that was all the confirmation he needed. One solitary tear trickled down her eye that Gohan caught, before she turned her head away. "Yeah… Look, I appreciate you bringing my locket to me and all, but if you don't mind I think I want to be alone now. I really just prefer to be alone… Besides, I don't think you'd want to waste your time sitting here and watching me mope the night away would you?"

Gohan almost wanted to cry himself at the sad little laugh she gave as she said that. The softer gentle side of him wanted to reach out and hold her, but his rational side told him this wasn't the type of girl you touched without express written permission. "Actually, I don't mind. Maybe you'd feel better if you actually had someone to talk to about it for a change… Bottling up all your emotions inside isn't always the best thing… Trust me, I figured that out the hard way."

"No, I don't think so, but thanks all the same," Videl denied his offer softly. In reality, deep down she would've loved to have someone she could reach out to, but that person just didn't exist at this time. "I'd much rather be alone…"

"Are you sure? I really don't mind at all Videl. You know I use to…"

"Just leave me alone Gohan!" Videl shouted suddenly, surprising Gohan though her reaction probably shouldn't have. "I don't need anyone to talk to! I don't need anyone, and I've never needed anyone for anything! My father was always too busy to ever listen when I had any problems, and I sure as hell wasn't going to talk to those so-called friends who were only clinging on to me because of who my father happened to be! I'm the only person I've ever been able to rely on, and that's all I've ever needed! I'm strong enough to get through this by myself!"

"Well, obviously you are," Gohan said, remaining calm, but sounding slightly hurt. Videl picked up on this, and couldn't fight back a slight sense of guilt. "But just because you don't need anyone, doesn't mean you don't want anyone to reach out to. I can be that person for you if your willing to let me try Videl…"

"What do you even care anyway?"

"Because you're my friend Videl, and I'm worried about you. Plus, I can probably relate to what your going through better then you think."

"Oh, and what makes you say that?" Videl snipped, shooting him a slight glare.

Gohan sighed at her stubbornness, and removed a small oval pouch from his belt. He wanted Videl to open up to him, he really did. He wanted to be that true friend she never really had, but to do that he figured he'd have to open up to her a little himself. To that point he'd been reluctant to do so. "I have something I want to show you Videl."

Slightly curious, Videl watched as Gohan reached into the pouch and pulled out a small orange ball. It was hard to tell in the darkness, but there looked to be four tiny symbols that looked like stars spread across the ball. "What is that?"

"This is called a dragon ball. My father gave this to me when I was a little bitty thing. He… He died when I was eleven. I was really close with him. That was one of the reasons I was so depressed during a good portion of my life. Please understand that I don't want to get into any of the details right now, but I made some horrible choices at one critical juncture of my life that might have cost him his life…" Gohan exaggerated that part a bit. He knew he was fully responsible for his father's death, or at least he pinned all that blame on himself, but he wanted to dance around the subject enough that Videl wouldn't follow up with any questions he wasn't ready to answer yet. "You remember that day in history class, when I avoided that question you asked me about myself being depressed? Well, that was the reason… It's still difficult to talk about but…"

"It's okay you don't have to say anymore." It was painful for Videl to say, she really wanted to know more, but felt it was better not to pry into something Gohan didn't seem all that eager to talk about. All of a sudden, at least for the moment anyway, all of Videl's problems seemed to vanish as she found her heart going out to the young Demi-Sayian. 

"I think of my dad every time I look at this," Gohan said, looking down at the baseball-sized object in his hand. "That's why I care Videl. I know exactly what your going through. The pain, the constant feeling of loneliness, helplessness, and fighting back the urge to just crawl behind some big rock and wait to die. I get that way every time the anniversary of his death rolls around… You looked the exact same way today as I do the end of every June… It's not a fun feeling I know… I know how much it hurts, and I wanted to be able to help you if there was any way I possibly could."

Videl stared down at her locket, soaking in everything Gohan had said to her. "This… This locket is all I have left of her. When I lost it this morning I felt like I was losing the only part of her I had left… Like she'd be gone for good this time…"

Gohan placed a hand on Videl's shoulder, as she stifled back a few tears. "I used to think this dragon ball was all I had left from my dad when I realized he actually left me with a lot more. For one, an adorable baby brother who looks just like him, and a ton of fond memories of him that will live with me for the rest of my life. Your mother may not have left a sibling or anything, but I'm sure you have tons of pleasant memories of your mother that will live in your heart for as long as you want to remember them."

"You know that's the sappiest thing I've ever heard." Videl tried to laugh back the tears she was trying so desperately not to cry. "But it works for me… So tell me Gohan. When the anniversary of your father's death rolled around, didn't you just want to be left alone and not be bothered by anyone."

Gohan picked up on the hint Videl was trying to toss his way, that she still would rather be left to herself that night, but he chose to ignore it. "I use too. I didn't really have much choice in the matter though, I didn't really have anyone to go to. My mother had a hard enough time dealing with my father's death herself, and the only two or three real friends I had weren't exactly the kind of people you went to when you were having emotional problems. So, I made that into my excuse. I used to think facing the pain alone was the best way to go about it, but eventually I realized I was just that… Alone. No where to run to hide from the pain, and no one to protect me from it. I had to fight it off on my own. I thought I was winning for the longest time, but somewhere along the way I realized I didn't really like being alone all the time. I could see that the entire time the pain had been defeating me, and I didn't even know it was happening."

Videl laughed again, stifling back another sob. "You know this is going to sound weird but… I could never quite put into words what I'd been feeling all these years, but I think you just stole the words right out of my head. I guess we have more in common then we realized…"

"I guess. You know Videl… We don't have to fight it by ourselves anymore. Maybe now we can face it together, if your willing…"

Gohan noticed something gleaming in Videl's bright blue, slightly reddened, eyes. He wasn't sure if it was hope, wariness, or maybe even a little bit of fear. Whatever it was, Videl was clearly thinking Gohan's offer over. Gohan wouldn't have to wait long for an answer. Videl didn't say any words. She simply lunged at him, wrapping her arms around his waist and crying a tearless sob into his chest. Gohan returned the embrace, sitting there quietly for a while as she coped with her mother's passing in her own little way. Despite Videl's tough outward exterior, Gohan could tell this was something she'd been needing for a long time. The closeness of another human being, one that legitimately cared that she was in pain. So she didn't have to face that pain alone for once.

"You know it's okay to cry Videl," Gohan commented, noting countless times how hard she was trying not to. "I know you're a tough girl, but I won't tell anyone. Sometimes it's good to let it all out."

"No… I won't." Videl let out another tearless sob. "My mother wouldn't want me too… She'd want me to be strong… She'd be unhappy knowing she caused me to shed so many tears… Besides, I promised myself I wouldn't cry anymore. Not unless it was over someone who's truly worth it. Mother is, but she's a special case."

"I understand." That would be the last words they'd share for a while. Gohan admired the stars while Videl, though her eyes stayed dried, her soul cried through most of that night.

********

It had gotten really late, probably one in the morning by now. Videl didn't care. She couldn't sleep anyway, so she'd been in the training room for the past several hours whaling away at another sparring dummy. She had to get him off her mind, but it just didn't seem to be working. He was the reason she couldn't sleep after all. She was hoping she could beat these feelings out of her, but they wouldn't go away. She couldn't forget what happened earlier that night. The tenderness in his voice when he spoke to her… How warm and safe she felt when he wrapped her up in his arms… 

"This isn't happening!" Videl shouted, as she gave the dummy a hard kick. She continued to pound on the bag as she ranted to herself. "I don't like Gohan! Not in that way! We're just friends. I'm Videl Satan, I don't need anybody!"

Videl pictured Gohan's face on the bag, and motioned to kick when she stopped in mid-move. She just couldn't… Videl sighed in defeat, and slumped down on the floor to her knees, hugging the training bag like a pillow. "Why did he have to be so sweet?… Why couldn't he have been a jerk like all the other guys, it would've made things a lot easier… Why am I even talking like this, he's just a guy!"

Videl punched her training bag one last time, before laying down across the ground. She didn't care that it was cold. She didn't care that it was hard and extremely uncomfortable, it was just there and it would do for now. "I don't like Gohan… He's just another guy… Just a friend. I'm Videl Satan, I don't need anyone! The only person I can trust is myself… I don't need anyone!"

But she had to admit… It felt good to have a shoulder to cry on. Someone who seemed to understand her better then most people could… That legitimately seemed to care for whatever reason. "I don't need anyone, but maybe… Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to have someone to talk to every now and then… I hate to admit it, but having Gohan with me tonight made the night easier to get through then usual… He's the first person I've ever met that's ever tried to be friendly with me, and not just because of my family name. He doesn't even like my father for whatever reason, so I doubt he'd be kissing up to me just to get to him… It would be nice to have someone to hold on to for a change. I probably shouldn't blow this chance but…"

Videl's thought process ended right there. The minor acceptance of the reason for that slight tingling feeling in her chest, counteracted the forces keeping her exhausted mind and body awake. She drifted off to sleep, dreaming dreams of a certain spiky haired teenager, dreams she would try hard to forget in the morning.

End.

-Awe… I really like this part. I had some problems at the beginning getting everything going, but towards the end I knew exactly what I was aiming for. Anyhew, not a typo, as for part six Chi-Chi's has been wanting to meet some of Gohan's new friends, and has him invite them over for dinner. This scene is inevitable for any G/V fic, and it's not going to be pretty. The actual plot to the story begins to develop as well, and I'm going to take you into Ryo's head just a little bit. I've gotten a couple responses about his character, and that makes me feel good. I have to go slow with him though, as a writer you always worry about interjecting a foreign character into a fanfic. Unless you develop the character perfectly you pretty much get pissed on. The reaction has been pretty good for the most part, and I'm happy to see that I was worried about him. Well, so long for now, and thanks to everyone for reading! 


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

Gohan blinked his eyes, and all of a sudden another month of school had past. At least that's what it felt like anyway. Time seemed to move at a much quicker pace recently than Gohan was use to experiencing. That could've been contributed to the fact that for the first time since the passing of his father, Gohan for the most part was happy and content with his life. His mother watched on happily as the change slowly came over her son, and that was all the proof she needed to know that sending him out into the world was the best choice. 

As the weeks past Gohan found himself getting closer to his two new friends, especially Videl. Her personality had done a near three sixty since Gohan's first day of school, at least towards Gohan anyway. Her attitude pretty much stayed the same towards most every one else, but now Gohan seemed to harbor special treatment no one could really understand. If it were any other girl most of the students probably would've accused her of having a crush on Gohan, but they refrained out of fear Videl might kick the living tar out of them if they dare try to tease her about it. Gohan noticed the change from the cold hostile young lady he first met, to the sweet and cheerful girl Gohan wondered why she didn't show more often. Only around him it seemed, and Ryo to a lesser extent. Gohan wasn't complaining though. He might not have been sure why but he felt good when he was around her, and that's all he really cared about. 

Whenever a boy and a girl even appeared to get close in the high school world, the rumors are bound to start flying that those two people are more then just friends. At Orange Star High in particular this was an occurrence that was practically unavoidable, and it didn't help matters much that the two teens had been practically joined at the hip for weeks now. It happened so suddenly, what else could they tell people? It literally happened over night. Of course both Gohan and Videl both denied the rumors, both in their own subtle and not so subtle ways. Videl would usually get irritated and sometimes even angry whenever the subject was brought up, sometimes even tossing threats at persistent and repeat offenders. This wound up doing her more harm then good for the people who knew Videl best knew a Videl quick to anger was usually a Videl hiding something. Well… Different types of anger from what they were use to. Gohan had a much simpler approach, one that, much like Videl's, fit his personality. He'd simply brush it off like it was nothing, or even laugh at times as if it were some kind of joke.

While most of the student body thought the pair would make a cute couple, regardless whether the rumors were true or not, there were a few who didn't care much for the idea. Sharpner for instance wasn't even wild about the idea of the two even being friends… Especially considering he seemed to get pushed out of the picture to make room for him. Sharpner noticed Videl passing by him in the hallway and called out to her, but keeping consistent with the way she'd been acting recently, she totally blew him off. However, Sharpner wasn't the type of guy that was ignored easily.

"Hey Videl wait up!" Videl didn't turn around until she felt a strong hand touch her shoulder. She frowned when she saw Sharpner standing behind her, arrogant grin and all. "Didn't you hear me calling you?"

"Excuse me?" Videl cocked an eyebrow. She honestly wasn't aware Sharpner was even in school that morning until that moment. One of the means she developed to adapt to her popularity was by toning out many of the countless voices that called out to her on a daily basis, only responding to the important voices she wanted to recognize. It was a short selective list, and needless to say Sharpner hadn't made the cut. 

"Videl I'm hurt."

"What's the matter, did you pull something staring at yourself in the mirror again?"

Sharpner sweat dropped. A brief wave of discomfort quickly gave way to his usual cocky expression. "Um… No. I was just wondering why you've been avoiding the guys and me. You don't ever sit with us during lunch anymore, and I never see you outside of school now-a-days."

"I've found better things to do with my time," Videl stated flatly, as she started back down the hall. 

"And what would that be?!" Sharpner shrieked, finding himself growing agitated with Videl's constant attitude with him. After all, he deserved better then that. He was Sharpner, the object of every woman's affection, or at least that's the way he saw himself in his own eyes. Satan or no Satan, Sharpner believed Videl should be throwing herself at his feet rather then giving him the cold shoulder. "Getting buddy-buddy with those two loser friends of yours?! Really Videl, when did you decide to start hanging out with dorks anyway?!"

Videl stopped and growled softly, intimidating Sharpner enough that he took a couple steps back. "You know I really don't appreciate you talking about them like that, but if your going to persist on calling them dorks Sharpner then… I have more in common with them then I do anyone else in this entire school, so I guess that means that I'm a dork too."

Sharpner's eyes widened in confusion. "No, that can't be right… Your Videl Satan, your one of us."

"Ha!" Videl snorted, a smug grin crossing her lips. "One of you... The only thing I am is what you just said. I'm Videl Satan, and nothing else! For your information Sharpner I'm not hanging out with dorks, I merely stopped that's all."

"But… But… You still talk to Erasa!"

"That's because I actually like Erasa… For some strange warped reason." Videl walked away from Sharpner with that, leaving him with his mouth hanging open as he stared after her.

"That… That didn't go like I hoped at all…"

----------

Study hall… Pretty much a pointless time of day when there's really nothing to study at that time. When faced with that situation it was pretty much a time for friends to sit around, and talk about whatever comes to mind. That's what Gohan, Videl, and Ryo were doing as they all were gathered together at the table in the library they normally shared. 

"Have you guys ever had a lucid dream?" Ryo asked out of the blue.

"What does that mean?" Videl asked.

Gohan answered for him. "He means a dream where you can control the outcome. Actually take part in what's happening."

Videl frowned. "But that's impossible, you can't control your dreams! The question's irrelevant then, it's not possible to have a lucid dream."

Ryo smiled confidently. "Come on Videl, you have no imagination! Believe it or not I've had a few."

"You have not! Do you really expect us to believe that you can control your own dreams?!"

"I have to agree with Videl Ryo. It does seem rather far out of the realm of possibility. I've had dreams that have felt so real it almost feels like I've actually lived them, but I've never been able to dictate the outcome of any of them… They're always preset, we never have any control or idea to what's going to happen next."

"Well, that's kind of what I'm getting at. I'm not saying that I can control my dreams necessarily. What I mean is that sometimes I know what's going, I know I'm dreaming and I know I'm going to wake up eventually. It's kind of like I'm semi-conscious even though I'm supposed to be in the middle of the dream stage of sleep."

"But if your conscious then you can't really be asleep can you?" Videl asked, her curiosity starting to peak.

"That's a good question… Maybe that would explain why I'm so tired all the time," Ryo joked somewhat seriously. "Anyway, I have a rather fertile imagination, and I believe my dreams are kind of out of whack because of it. I don't have normal dreams like most people do, there's always something out of place that doesn't belong that tips me off that I'm dreaming. Like the school would be set up in a different formation in just about every dream for instance, or their would be a tele-tubby or something dancing around in the background. Trust me, if I really could control my dreams I would've pulled out a shotgun and shot the damn thing!"

"I think I understand what you're saying," Gohan spoke up, trying to remember some of his own dreams. "I've had a few dreams where for one reason or another I knew I was dreaming…"

"Well, I haven't. My dreams are pretty basic, so I guess I'm just boring compared to you guys in that department." Videl blushed as she thought about one particularly racy dream she had about Gohan just recently.

"But that's not all!" Ryo said, very much into and excited over the subject he was discussing. "Because my dreams are so strange more times then not, I usually can always tell when I'm dreaming or when I'm actually awake. I've always been pretty adept at distinguishing reality from fantasy anyway. Anyhow, I've actually had dreams where I've forced myself to wake up when I didn't care for where the dream was headed. I remember one night when I woke myself up six times, but every time I'd fall back to sleep the dream would pick up right where it left off. I've actually dreamt about waking up in my room before a few times. I know it was a dream because my room was set up all wrong, or I'd look out an open door that was supposed to be closed and see my brother walking by. I know this has to be a dream because I don't have a brother!"

"That would make it rather difficult to see him wouldn't it?" Gohan kidded, as he and Videl both smiled. 

"I'll have to hand it to you Ryo," Videl added. "Even your dreams are unique."

Ryo smiled at the conclusion of his speech, and that smile only widened when he noticed how close together Gohan and Videl were sitting. Ryo was about as observant of a person you would ever meet, and he could pick up on things that would completely go over even the greatest thinkers head. You could probably have fit three or four more chairs on either side of Gohan or Videl, and yet here they were with their chairs so close they were practically sitting in each other's lap. Never one to miss an opportunity to make his friends blush, Ryo jumped all over this one.

"So… I know the rumor mill has been churning out stuff about you guys for a month now, hell Erasa and I supplied most of the lumber." Ryo paused to take in the expressions coming over his friend's faces. Videl frowned, while Gohan smiled sheepishly as a bead of sweat dripped down his cheek. Nether one of them was thrilled with him or Erasa for getting the school started on that kick, not that the rumors wouldn't have started up if they hadn't anyway. "So tell me… From the looks of you two sometimes I wonder… You guys haven't been doing anything behind my back have you?"

Ryo held back a laugh, as they both saw red. Gohan was mostly embarrassed while Videl looked ready to kill. "Of course not Ryo! If something was going on, I wouldn't have any trouble telling the world, but there isn't! We're just friends got it, and we don't need you and everyone else talking like there is! Right Gohan!"

"If you say so…" Gohan said reluctantly. Something about the tone in her voice hit a soft spot somewhere. Gee, I don't think the ideas that hideous Videl… It may not be true, but it's nothing to get so worked up over. I guess she really doesn't think that much of me…

"Okay, if you guys insist, I guess I'll have to believe you," Ryo said sarcastically, making it clear he didn't believe them. "Gohan's still rather new here, but what's your excuse then Videl? Your one of the most popular and well-known girls in this animal house we call a school, yet somehow you've managed to squeak through all this time without a boyfriend…"

"So what?!" Videl barked, blushing ever so slightly. "I don't need a guy, nor do I want one! That's the reason why I've never had a boyfriend!"

"Okay, okay! I was only kidding with you, no need to shoot me the death glare now!"

"I don't know Videl… That was a rather brash comment. Maybe that's just Ryo's way of hinting that he likes you." Gohan gave Videl a wink, asking her to play along. Videl picked up on the hint, sensing an opportunity to get back at her smart-aleck friend.

"Now that you mention it, it would explain some things." Videl grinned evilly. "You're a cute guy, but you've never had a girlfriend Ryo. Is that because you have a crush on me? Oh, isn't that cute!"

"No, I didn't mean for it to sound like that! I mean… I…" Ryo's face went red when he heard her call him cute, but things only got worse with the accusation that followed. As he began to defend himself, he almost forgot whom it was he was talking to. Not wanting to make her angry, Ryo decided to just tell them the truth no matter how difficult it might be for him. "Don't get me wrong, you're a sweet girl Videl but I… That is I mean to say that I'm kind of… Spoken for."

Expressions of shock and surprise fell over Gohan and Videl's faces. They looked at each other, and then back at Ryo as small mischievous grins crept onto their lips. "You're kidding! You mean to tell us you have a girlfriend?!"

"And you never told us about her?" Gohan added.

"Well you see the thing is… She's not really my… We're not together officially per say… Let's just say I have someone I really care about, but as for right now as far as I know she doesn't feel the same way about me. I'm hoping that either one day she'll come around and realize I'm right for her, or that I'll eventually get over her and be able to get on with my life. Until one of those two things happens, I'm just kind of hanging around and waiting things out."

Videl frowned slightly with concern "I see… So, she doesn't feel the same way about you?"

"I'm not sure," Ryo sighed. "I know she cares about me, hell she's my best friend really. She was kind of shy and quiet like me, and was very uncomfortable about romantic things like that… She's a lot more open about it now, but she's still never said anything to me if she ever felt anything for me. It doesn't help matters much that I've had to move around so much. By the time she learned my phone number, I was already switching to a new one. It's hard to keep in touch with someone who's on the move all the time like I was… I've finally gotten settled into one place now, but by now it's probably already too late."

"I wouldn't worry about it much. I know this is going to sound cheesy, but if it was meant to be she'll come around," Videl encouraged. "If she doesn't then she's a fool to let a guy like you slip away from her. Just do us all a favor, and don't keep yourself waiting for something that might never happen for to long."

"I won't," Ryo smiled.

"Don't get discouraged, you never know how she might feel about you," Gohan chimed in. "Remember what they say. Absence makes the heart grow fonder."

Ryo frowned. "That's a load of crap if I ever heard it. Absence sucks!"

As part of a delayed reaction, Gohan and Videl couldn't help but giggle. Ryo lowered his brow in agitation initially, but soon Ryo found himself laughing right along with them.

"So, would you mind if I asked you what her name is?" Videl asked, after the laughter had ceased.

"If it's all the same to you I'd rather not at this time… It's still kind of a touchy subject for me. I can't believe I actually sat here and talked about her this much."

Gohan could sense Ryo really didn't want to be talking about this subject anymore, and from the looks of Videl she wasn't quite set on taking no for an answer. Understanding as well as anyone how important it could be to keep certain things to yourself, Gohan decided to intervene on behalf of his friend. He'd been stalling on giving this invitation long enough as it was anyway. "Hey guys, I just remembered something."

Mission accomplished. Videl's attention left Ryo, and diverted towards him. "What?"

"Well I was just wondering," Gohan began, as he looked Videl in the eye. "My mom's been bugging me for days now to meet the new friends I've made at school, and I figured today would be as good a time as any. I was just wondering if you'd like to come over to my house for dinner tonight?"

"What? Really?…" Videl blushed slightly, and responded almost shyly. "Gee, I'd love to…"

"Great! How about you Ryo?"

Videl face faulted. "Ryo?!" 

Ryo cocked an eyebrow, wearing a rather odd smirk on his face. "Oh really now Videl?! He did say friends mind you. From the sound of it you make it seem like my presence is a burden to you. Well, it's nice to know what you really think of me."

"That's not what I meant Ryo! It's was just that I…" Videl stopped herself before she could say something she'd regret. It was true, she had thought Gohan was asking her at first, and was a little disheartened to hear that invitation extended to Ryo as well. 

"Don't worry about it. I'm tied up this evening anyway. You two kids have fun tonight." Ryo made a clicking noise with his tongue as he fled from the table. Both Gohan and Videl knew what he was insinuating with that comment, but for this one time they ignored it.

"Crap, I didn't mean to make him think I didn't want him to come along," Videl said, as she watched Ryo disappear into the reference section of the library.

"I'm sure he knows that Videl. Besides, he did say he was busy tonight anyway."

Videl groaned at Gohan's apparent social ignorance. "Gohan, he's not busy tonight! That's what everybody says when they feel they're not welcome somewhere."

"It does?" Gohan asked, an innocent look of confusion on his face.

"Forget it. I'll talk to him about it in a minute… So, what time did you want me to come over?"

"Hmm… About seven o'clock. I do live kind of far out, so that should give you enough time to get there and back. Oh, and there is one more thing… I haven't exactly told my mother you were a girl yet." 

"Is that going to be a problem?"

"At first possibly, until she gets use to the idea. She'll most likely jump to conclusions, and assume the wrong thing when she finds out I'm bringing a girl home with me."

A wicked smile crossed Videl's lips. "Oh yeah, like that's not something the entire school hasn't done already, and that we're not completely use to by now!"

Gohan sweat dropped. "You don't understand Videl… My mother's kind of different. In fact, you remind me a little bit of her."

"Really? How's that?"

Another bead of sweat rolled down his face. "Well… I'd tell you, but I'm afraid you might smack me if I did."

"Should I do it know, or wait until you tell me!" Videl barked, a frown burning into her face. "I'm going to smack you around either way, so you're better off just telling me!"

"Didn't you say you needed to talk to Ryo?"

Ryo spied on Gohan and Videl from the sanctuary of all the rows of books , softly snickering to himself. He knew why Videl had gotten upset when she found out Gohan's offer wasn't directed solely towards her , but he wasn't angry with her at all. In fact, he thought it was rather cute, especially her pathetic attempt to cover it up after she put her foot in her mouth. Poor Gohan too, oblivious to everything as usual. Maybe some time alone would get those two kids out of their shells. Ryo watched as Videl and Gohan started to laugh about something, before she finally got up out of her seat and headed in his direction. Ryo knew instantly she was coming to find him, so he quickly hid his nose into a book he yanked randomly off the shelf.

"Hey Ryo?… Can I talk to you a second?"

Ryo put on his best smile, trying hard not to laugh. "No problem Videl. What's on your mind?"

Videl wasn't normally the nervous type, nor did she ever really worry about saying something that might offend somebody else. However, Videl had developed some different views on these types of situations over the past month or so, at least when it came down to her friends. "I didn't mean to imply that I didn't want you to come along with me to Gohan's tonight… If I did I'm sorry. If you want to come, that's fine with me, I'd rather you do! Please don't stay away just because you think I don't want you around or something. I really don't want you to think that…"

Now Ryo couldn't help but chuckle. Videl frowned at his nerve. Here she was legitimately concerned about him, and he was standing there laughing at her. "I know you didn't mean it that way Videl. I'm flattered that you're worried about offending me, but I honestly have previously arranged plans this evening."

"That's a relief…" Videl sighed in acceptance. "As long as you're just not coming because of me."

"Well that does have a bit to do with it." Videl should have known what was coming by the devious grin that attacked the boy's face. "I hate being a third wheel, and I wouldn't want to intrude on you two. I can only imagine you guys would appreciate getting some time alone."

"Ryo! You know it's not like!" Videl growled through gritted teeth. "We're just friends! That's it!"

"Sure you are. Keep telling yourself that, and maybe you'll start believing it yourself. Come on Videl, you can tell me. You like him don't you? Why else would you be blushing right now?"

Videl's face got even darker. "Well… I'll make you a deal! You tell me what your girlfriend's name is, and just maybe I'll tell you what you're wanting to hear!"

Ryo blushed himself, and turned his head away in defeat. "Okay, you win. I'll drop the subject for now. You have fun tonight okay."

"You too. Later Ryo."

********

Goten felt the adrenaline surge through his body, every ounce of it at one point or another seemingly settling in the pit of his stomach before injecting itself back through his veins. A by product of his Sayian heritage, the half of him he either knew nothing about and what little he did know he was rather young to understand. He didn't know that little not even seven year old body already held more power then most adult humans could ever dream of possessing. He wasn't aware of the destructive past his people use to reek across the universe. He had no way of knowing that with just the slightest bit of training he could easily destroy the very earth itself. No seven year old should have to worry about things like that, and Goten wouldn't have to worry about those things until hopefully much later in his life. His only concerns were making sure he was inside the house before dark, and what was for dinner on a nightly basis.

That all changed once Vegeta got a hold of him. At least to the ignorance of the half of his heritage he knew only bits and pieces of from his brother Gohan. Vegeta left out just about all of the details Goten had no need to know about at this stage of his life, such as the purging of planets for the planet trade and his father's original mission to purge the very planet he called home. What he did share with him was the art of fighting, and the Sayian reputation as one of the fiercest warrior races to ever raise a fist in combat. Vegeta had even admitted to Bulma once that the technique his mother had taught him to that point was impressive, for a human woman anyway. Vegeta never forced anything on Goten either. Everything Vegeta had taught him was completely voluntary on Goten's part. The Sayian blood coursing through his veins had always been laced with the desire to fight, even at such a youthful age, and that was a side to Goten he was never fully able to satisfy until he began training with Vegeta and Trunks.

A bead of sweat dripped down Goten's face, as he looked at his friend who was panting just as hard as he was. Trunks looked back at him, their eyes asking each other what they should do next. Vegeta, waiting for their next move from about ten feet away form them, stamped his foot impatiently with his arms crossed against his chest. 

"Come on boys, I don't have all day!" Vegeta tried to goad the boys into resuming their offensive. "Are you two quitting already? If you're giving up already then that's just fine with me. I'll take you over to Bulma so she can change your diapers for you!"

That little insult seemed to be all the motivation the boys needed. They rushed Vegeta again, throwing punches and kicks that didn't even come close to landing. The much more experienced Vegeta smirked, as he maneuvered out of the way of everything the two boys could throw at him. Once he felt he had played with the boys enough, he swatted at the boys sending them both crashing to the ground again. They were pretty much Sayian love taps, of course a Sayian love tap was enough to break most normal humans in half, but strong enough to rattle the kids cages.

"Hmm… Impressive. You two must be improving, I almost broke a sweat that time!" Vegeta was taken back a bit, when Goten and Trunks quickly charged at him again unexpectedly. He smirked, recognizing what it was. Sayian pride, the drive to continue fighting until the end even when you knew there was no way of winning. He was proud to see that instinct wasn't lost in the human side of the Demi-Sayians.

However, Vegeta was completely unprepared for what would happen next. He noted that the boy's attacks were becoming slightly harder to dodge, but that wasn't much of a problem. Little did he now it was merely building up to something much bigger. The two boys suddenly exploded into a golden light, eyes changing into a bright turquoise, and sending their hair burning into a golden blonde. Vegeta's eyes widened at the sight of their transformations, and that distraction gave Goten and Trunks ample opportunity to land two punches dead into his face, sending the Prince of the Sayians flying. Trunks and Goten froze in complete shock that they even managed to land a punch on Vegeta let alone knock him half way across the gravity room.

"That was certainly unexpected," Vegeta groaned, as he sat up and shook the cobwebs out of his head. He glared at the two young Super Sayians who quickly powered down, and hovered to the ground wearing looks that said they had just done something wrong. 

"What? How?…" Vegeta stuttered as he stalked over to the boys, the shock finally settling in as he reached them. Vegeta's demeanor calmed before he asked his next question. "How long? Has this been going on I mean. I know I'm not that good of a teacher, and from the looks of things going Super Sayian seemed almost natural to you."

Goten gave Trunks a look that begged him to be the one to answer his father. Trunks looked rather meek underneath his father's gaze, as he dragged his foot against the ground. "For a while now… As long as I can remember really."

"Me too," Goten said innocently.

"We didn't say anything because we were worried how everyone might react if they found out we were Super Sayians already… Okay, I was worried. Goten didn't seem to care, but he never worries about anything…"

Vegeta barely understood his son, as he found himself cycling through various emotions. Surprise. A tint of jealously that his son could already achieve a level of strength it took him years to reach. Disappointment that the peak of the Sayian race had been apparently reduced to a child's toy. Mostly, he just felt pride that his son turned out to be a chip off the old Sayian block. Eventually, Vegeta decided to go against all of them and began to laugh.

"Don't sound so nervous Trunks. It's nothing to be ashamed of. You are my son after all, and I should've expected no less from you. Nor should I have probably expected any less from the youngest brat of Kakarott."

Goten's eyes lit up at the mention of the name Vegeta referred to his father by. He'd gotten use to the occasional brat remarks, and had learned to tone them out. "Really? Hey Vegeta… What was my father like?"

Vegeta smirked slightly, as he cycled through his memories of his archrival. Goten and Trunks looked up at him with curiosity in their little eyes as Vegeta began to speak. "He was a good man Goten, and a strong warrior. Though it pains me to admit it, he was the strongest in the world at his time. Even me, and held that title until your own brother eclipsed him. However, that was then, and this is now. I've trained hard over these past six and a half years, and I do believe I have surpassed both of them by now. I hope to meet your father again one of these days in combat, and prove my Sayian abilities once and for all by beating the tar out of him. No offense kid."

"Sure," Goten giggled.

"Now, enough of this idle chat. Both of you! Transform and come at me again! Don't hold anything back! I want to see how strong you two really are!"

Goten and Trunks looked at each other, and smiled in a way that was purely Sayian before powering back up to Super Sayians.

********

Videl was glad you didn't have to deal with traffic in the air like you did on the ground. If she had been driving a car instead of her helicopter she probably would've caused a twelve-car pile up on the highway by now. She hadn't the slightest clue why she was so nervous. She was just going to friends house for dinner, and that was it. But then why was she a bundle of nerves at the moment? Why was she acting so funny? She had never worried about what she wore before. She had never once worried how her hair looked before. Eventually she realized just how silly she was being, and decided to present herself as she normally would. It was only Gohan after all… Right?

"Get a grip Videl, there's nothing to be afraid of! Its just Gohan, and he's only a guy!… A cute, hot, attractive guy but he's still just a guy… Why am I even thinking like this?! I sound like some kind of tipsy Jr. High girl with a crush!"

That's because you are one, the only difference is you're a high school student.

"What do you know?! Lousy smart ass, know-it-all inner voice…"

Videl sighed, and refocused her attention on locating Gohan's home. She knew she was in the area, she had flown by his house once before when she practically had to force him to let her fly him home when he was stricken with the flu. She knew the approximate area of his home, but finding it in the jumbled mess of trees and mountains wasn't an easy task. If only that twit hadn't pulled what he did the month before she wouldn't be feeling or acting this way right now. He couldn't just leave her alone, he just had to reach out to her and touch her in a way no one had before. Videl wasn't quite there yet, but she was dangerously close to admitting it to herself. Of all things, Videl Satan was falling for a guy… Yuck.

"Take it easy Gohan," Chi-Chi ordered her son, who was busy pacing back and forth from the living room to the kitchen nervously. "These are your friends after all, so I don't see why you're so nervous."

"Actually I do have a good reason," Gohan said shakily. Actually he had a couple reasons. He was slightly nervous over Videl coming over to his home, but he didn't have the time to worry about that much. She was do to arrive any minute now, and there was still one fact about her Gohan had neglected to mention to his mother. "I'm just a little nervous about you meeting my friends and vice-versa."

"I don't see why," his mother continued. "Based off what I've heard you tell me about this Ryo boy, he sounds like a fine young man to me. If he's as intelligent as you've said he is, then he sounds like a good influence on you if anything."

"Um… Well about that, Ryo couldn't make it today. He already had a previous engagement."

"Oh really?" Chi-Chi appeared slightly confused. "Then who's coming over then?"

"Another friend of mine…" Gohan said with short breath.

"Is that so? I haven't heard you mention any other friends by name before. What's his name?"

"Well, that's the thing mom. Please don't overreact or anything but… *Her* name is Videl…"

"What?!" Chi-chi screeched, slamming the spoon she'd been using to stir the rice down on the counter next to the stove. She whirled around to face her son, glaring daggers at the boy. "You mean to tell me you've had a girlfriend all this time, and never even told me?! What are you thinking Gohan?! You're supposed to be concentrating on your studies, not running around with some teenaged bimbo! How do you expect to get into a good college with distractions like that?!"

"Whoa, whoa, mom calm down!" Gohan begged off, as she advanced on him. "First of all she's not a bimbo, and she's not my girlfriend! She's just a good friend honest…"

"She isn't your girlfriend?… If that's the case then why not?! Have you been too afraid to ask her out or something? I remember how I practically had to force your father to go out with me… What's she like anyway? Maybe I should bring out the good china for dinner instead?"

"Hold on a second mom! A second ago you were yelling at me because you thought I had a girlfriend, and the next your getting on me because she's not! What's going on anyway?!"

"Don't change the subject Gohan!" Chi-Chi looked her son up and down. "You might want to change clothes to. You don't want to look like a slouch when your girlfriend arrives do you?"

"But mom! I just told you she wasn't… " The argument might have continued if the sound of helicopter blades cutting through the air hadn't caught Gohan's ears. He knew it was probably Videl when he heard the chopper being to land seemingly in their front yard. "That must be her. I'll go greet her, and please don't give her the third degree the moment she walks through the door!"

Gohan greeted Videl at the front door, and despite his own anxiety noticed a distinct difference in her demeanor. Though she put on her best half-smile half-frown, her normal aurora of confidence was replaced by a noticeable air of discomfort. She almost seemed shy standing there before him. Gohan invited the girl inside, and of course his mother did the exact thing Gohan hoped she wouldn't do. She circled Videl like vulture hovering above a soon to be corpse, scrutinizing every last outward feature of the young lady who was a guest in her house. Videl watched the woman with a puzzled frown on her face, not quite able to decide what the occasional hmm, or grunt Chi-Chi would let out meant. After about her third trip around, Chi-Chi finally seemed to finish her examination of Videl.

"So your Gohan's friend Videl hey? I'll admit I was kind of surprised when he told me you were female a few minutes ago. Well I thought it would be best to tell you that this family is relying heavily on Gohan's success in the future. I don't need some girl diverting him from his path to the top, if you know what I mean?" Chi-Chi punctuated the end of that statement. 

Videl scoffed at her. "I'm not sure what your insinuating, but Gohan and I are only friends. I'm not after him if that's what you're getting at."

"Oh, and so your not!" Chi-Chi fired back. "And why the hell not?! Do you think you're too good for him or something? My son just happens to be a very intelligent and attractive young man so what's your problem?!"

"Mom, please stop!"

"But you just…" Videl was taken back. Gohan had warned her that his mother was a bit overbearing, but this was absolutely ridiculous. One minute she was mad over one thing, and the next even angrier at the exact opposite from what she was originally miffed over. This woman was definitely out there. 

Gohan had to admit the little scene in front of him was rather amusing. His mother and Videl were scowling at each other, literally wearing almost the exact same frown. Finally, he decided it was time to end it, and stepped in between Videl and his mother. "That's enough ladies! I don't think I've properly introduced you two yet. Videl, this is my mother Chi-Chi. Mom, this is Videl. I'd like to see you two get better acquainted but I rather it not be with your fists, so mom if you could please head back to the kitchen and finish dinner, I'll show Videl around the house.

"Fine," Chi-Chi said, shooting Videl one last glare before heading back into the kitchen. Videl blinked, completely perplexed by what had just happened.

"Don't mind her Videl. She's just overprotective like any parent, only ten times worse. I'm sure your father is like that with you too."

"Are you kidding?!" Videl laughed. "If I had told him I was going over to a boy's house for dinner tonight, he would've locked me in my room for a month! Actually, I think they have that in common. Maybe we should introduce them…"

Gohan wanted to retch at that idea. "I don't think so Videl… My mother's a one man woman, and will be the rest of her life no matter how long dad's gone."

"That's nice to hear." Videl frowned as she thought of her father, and all the flusey women he hung around with. "Wish I could say the same thing about my dad."

"Yeah… Just try not to pick any fights with her tonight, and don't let her goad you into any. She'll warm up to you eventually, just give it time."

Gohan walked Videl past the kitchen table, ready to begin his tour, when Videl spotted what looked like a smaller version of Gohan sitting at the head of the table. Goten smiled up cheerfully at the pair. 

"Hi! That was cool, I thought you guys were going to through punches there for a minute!" the boy chirped in one of the cutest voices Videl thought she'd ever heard. "My name's Goten. Your Videl right?"

"Yeah, I'm Videl. It's nice to meet you Goten," Videl smiled at the boy. She had always liked kids, and this one was absolutely adorable even by children's standards. "Gohan's told me a lot about you." 

"Gohan's told me a lot about you too," Goten chuckled almost evilly. "Gee, Gohan was right. You are cute!"

"Goten!" Gohan snapped, turning bright red. Videl blushed slightly herself, and looked up at Gohan suspiciously. 

"Wait, there's something else I want to see," Goten giggled, as he leapt from his chair. He raced around behind Videl. His usual smile changed into a bit of a frown as if he was disappointed in what he saw as he examined Videl's backside. She turned her head slightly and cocked an eyebrow as if to ask the boy what in the world he was doing.

"Goten what are you doing?" Gohan asked for her.

"Well, you said she had a cute butt too, but I don't see the big deal. It just looks like an ordinary butt to me."

"Excuse me?!"

"GOTEN!" Gohan scooped his baby brother up in his arms, and covered his mouth to prevent Goten from embarrassing him any further. He looked over at Videl and laughed halfheartedly. To his surprise she didn't look angry at all, just slightly embarrassed and surprised. "Ha, ha! Kids say the darnedest things don't they?!"

Videl watched on in amusement, as Gohan raced up the stairs with his little brother squirming in his arms. She might've considered knocking the block off of any other guy that might have dared say something like that about her, but for the moment… All she could seem to do was smile.

********

They were called the Ray Lien, the most brutal and effective horde of assassins ever to terrorize the universe. Their reputation for savagery and achieving results were legendary enough that even the tyrant Frieza called upon their services several times when he hadn't the time to rid himself of a pesky problem or two himself. For centuries they had sent everything from politicians to warriors considered the strongest in a particular solar system to their graves. They weren't warriors by any stretch of the imagination. Oh they could fight if the situation ever called for it, but it rarely got to that point. They preferred to sneak through the shadows and stab their prey in the back, or slit their throats as they slept. At times, they'd even slaughter their victim's families just for kicks. They rarely botched an assignment either. In fact, none of their ninja warriors had failed on a mission for close to two hundred years.

He knew all about them. All about their viciousness, all about the misery they could inflict without the victim even noticing they were a target until it was too late. The only thing he didn't know was why they were here on Earth, and just who had sent them here. It killed him to admit it, but he just couldn't see the big picture no matter how hard he tried. He was fairly sure he knew who they were after however. Luckily, two of the three were more then capable of taking care of themselves, but the third worried him. He'd ventured here every night for almost two weeks now, watching their every move from the little compound they made their base in. He blended in rather nicely with the shadows wearing his dark purple Gi. He didn't care for the color much, but it was the outfit given to him by his sensei so he wore it with pride regardless.

He was just about to leave for the night when he sensed a respectable sized Ki lurking around in the shadows with him. Damn, he'd finally be found out after all this time. Luckily for him it appeared to be a mere guard, given that position for they weren't the strongest or most effective of the breed of ninja assassins. He was doing an excellent job of sneaking up on him to, completely out of sight and not making a sound. Sadly for him, there wasn't any known mode of stealth to hide yourself from someone how could sense your energy. So the boy waited, pretending to be oblivious to the guard's presence, but in reality he was lying in wait. He waited until the guard leapt out of the shadows, and sliced the tree limp he'd been perched on off of the tree with the sharp edge of his blade. The boy landed with both feet on the ground, and the guard quickly followed suit.

"You're trespassing," the ninja informed him. He was wearing a brown Gi, similar to the boy's, expect the matching mask to go with it that covered everything but his eyes. The color of his Gi confirmed his suspicions that this one was merely a lowly guard.

The boy smiled smugly at his opponent. "Well, duh."

The guard lunged at the boy in the purple Gi again, an attack he easily dodge. The boy's quickness was remarkable, turning on a dime and striking the guard in the back with a hard roundhouse kick, cracking two of the guard's vertebra. That blow would've killed a human, but this one was from a race whose spinal column was constructed differently from humans. Either way, just like that the battle was over, and much quicker then the boy would've thought. He couldn't decide if he was stronger then he gave himself credit for, or if this guard was much weaker then he originally thought. Never being the arrogant type he chose the latter.

Now the boy had a decision to make. The guard was still alive if barely. He wanted to show mercy and leave it at that, but he knew deep down he couldn't. He couldn't take the risk of this one informing the others someone had been sneaking around their hideout. He wouldn't be able to survey this area anymore if they found out about him. He'd become a target of theirs for sure if he wasn't one already. Plus, he knew the penalty for a Ray Lien who failed in any type of mission, even guard duty. They were executed despite the case, and it wouldn't be a quick death either. Slow and brutal torture was their method. He'd be doing him a favor if he put him out of his misery right then and there.

"Well Ryo boy… Looks like you don't have a choice…"

Ryo charged up an energy attack, and fired the purple wave of Ki at his downed adversary. He made sure the blast wasn't bright or loud enough to draw any attention, but made it strong enough to reduce the guard's body into ashes. It was his first real kill… It didn't feel good either. Something was very unsettling about it, but Ryo shook it off. It probably wouldn't be the last time he had to take a life. He looked back at the compound where the Ray Lien where hiding out. They'd be on the move soon. She would most likely be their second target, and he needed to act fast. The first could take care of himself. The only way they were going to get to her was over his dead body.

********

Dinner started without a hitch, Gohan only hoped it would stay that way. He held his breath every time he'd watch his mother give Videl the evil eye, and would have to watch Videl try her best not to say something about it. Eventually a seemingly innocent conversation started up, and Gohan let out a sigh of relief. At least the conversation seemed innocent at the time… 

"Your house has fifty rooms in it?!" Chi-Chi marveled. "Your family must be loaded! No wonder you're so popular around school."

"Well, that's part of it," Videl sighed sadly. "But having a father who's a world famous fighter doesn't hurt either."

"Oh really? And just who is your father?"

Gohan nearly chocked on his food.

"Hercule Satan. You mean Gohan didn't tell you?"  


"Oh crap…" Gohan muttered under is breath.

"HERCULE SATAN?!" Chi-Chi shrieked as she bolted up from her seat, and slammed her hands down on the table. "You mean to tell me that, that no good cowardly fraud is your father?! Gohan, did you know about this?!" Chi-Chi glared at Gohan who sunk into his seat in a pathetic attempt to hide himself from the impending explosion.

"Yes he does, and how dare you speak about my father that way!" Videl shouted back, as she repeated the same motions Chi-Chi just had. "Need I remind you that he saved you and everyone else on this planet from that monster Cell!"

"For your information my Goha…" Chi-Chi was silenced as her eldest son covered her mouth with his hand.

"Mom please! Come into the living room, so we can talk for a minute… If you'll excuse us Videl we'll be right back."

"What do you think your doing Gohan?! Don't you ever cover my mouth like that again! I raised you to have more respect then that!" 

"I know mom, and I'm sorry but please calm down! Videl's my friend, and you've done everything you can to drive her out the door since she got here! Just please give her the benefit of the doubt mom. She's a nice girl if you'd only give her a chance!"

"But Hercules's daughter?!" Chi-Chi whined. "What were you thinking?! Your father died trying to stop that android, and that worthless coward took all the credit and got rich off of everything you two accomplished! How can you blame for being upset?!"

"I don't blame you at all mom, I feel the same way about him as you do," Gohan stated softly but firmly. "But Videl's nothing like him, and it's not fair for you to judge her because of what he did. She doesn't know he's a fraud mom, and it would break her heart if she knew. I know the idea is going to take some getting use to, but she is my friend Hercules daughter or not. Can you at least try to get along with her for my sake please?"

Chi-Chi sighed in defeat. "I'll give it a shot… But only for you Gohan… If this girl is that important to you…"

Mom! She is, but it's not like your making it sound! We're not a couple of anything except for friends! You just jumped to conclusions when you found out she was a girl!"

"Oh did I?" Chi-Chi smiled evilly, a smirk Gohan knew she only used when she knew something that he didn't. "That's not what I heard from your friend Ryo… He called about the exact same time Videl arrived this evening. He apologized for not being able to make it, and commended me for doing such a fine job raising my boys as a widowed mother. A real sweet young man really. He told me he thought it would better if he stayed away to give you two some time alone. He also said I might want to keep an eye on you two if I don't want to become a grandmother prematurely. It sounded like a joke, but I wanted to ask you anyway. Do I need to be worrying about that Gohan?"

"What?! No, no! I, I, I…" Gohan's mother gave him the look. The one that locked him in place, telling him he wasn't going anywhere until she got the answers she wanted. "That little…"

I'm going to kill him! I'm going to kill him, drag him into the forest, and bury his rotting corpse where no one will ever find it! No court in the world would be able to convict me! After some intense wiggling, explaining his relationship with Videl and Ryo's sometimes warped sense of humor to his mother, Gohan finally assured her he had no secondary motives when he invited Videl over that night. He definitely owed his so-called friend payback for the little stunt he pulled… It would be months before his mother let this go… 

Gohan walked back into the kitchen hoping Videl wasn't too upset after his mother's mini-blowup. Mini for Chi-Chi that was. To his surprise, all he found was Goten sitting at the table, shoveling food into his face like nothing out of the ordinary even happened. "Hey squirt. Did you see where Videl went off to?"

"Rahe…" Goten mumbled with a mouth full of food, before swallowing the contents in one gulp. "She said she was going outside for a walk."

"Thanks bro," Gohan said. His brother had already resumed stuffing his face.

Gohan homed in on Videl's Ki as soon as she walked out of the front door. She hadn't gotten very far, only a couple dozen feet from the house. Gohan found her laying on her back against a cool pallet of grass, staring up at the starry night sky. Videl didn't even really acknowledged him as he lie down next to her, only responding to his presence with a simple hey.

"I'm sorry about that," Gohan apologized right off the bat. "I hate to sound like a broken record, but my mother tends to overreact sometimes. She's just protective, and she worries about my school work."

"Not that I care, but she doesn't seem to like me very much does she?" Videl sighed.

"It's not you she doesn't like Videl. She's not crazy about your father that's all…"

Videl frowned. "What does she have against my father? He's never done anything to her!"

"Well…" Gohan thought about it a moment and decided to tell her the truth. Well, at least part of it. The parts it wouldn't hurt her to know. "Do you know who Goku is Videl? Does the name ring a bell at all."

"Are you kidding?! He's a Tenkaichi Budokai legend! He finished second at eight years old, and won the thing a few years later! Goku Son was…" Videl paused as the name of the man stuck in her head. "Son… He has the same family name you do huh Gohan?"

"He should," Gohan laughed. "He was my father."

Videl's eyes nearly bulged out of her skull. "What?! No way! You're lying!"

"I'm not lying Videl… We've got pictures of him all over the house, and Goten looks just like him. I didn't tell you before because it didn't seem important at the time. He's gone now, and he was never one to care about the fame anyway."

"So that's where you learned how to fight…"

"Exactly." Gohan's brow sunk low over his eyes. "I'm glad you had some nice things to say about him, because I know your father hasn't. We've heard a lot of things he's said about my dad. Calling him a fake, a cheater, and a coward who uses tricks to fool his opponent to win his matches. Needles to say, mother and I don't appreciate the way Hercule speaks about him. My father was a good honest man who trained hard since he was five years old to reach the strength he achieved. He was a brave man who was protecting this world from those who wished to harm it when your father was still in grade school flicking his boogers at the kids sitting in front of him. That's why my mother reacted the way she did… That's a grudge she's probably going to hold for the rest of her life, but she shouldn't have taken it out on you. I'm sorry for that…"

Videl lowered her head almost guilty. "I'm sorry too… My dad tends to let his mouth run away with him at times. He really believes there's no one alive on Earth that can beat him, and there probably isn't. He's too strong for his own good. I love my dad, but he can be such an ass sometimes… Listen to us. We're both laying here apologizing for our parent's actions. It's ridiculous."

"Yeah," Gohan snickered again. "Don't worry about my mom though. Once she gets adjusted to you, you'll have a whole new set of problems. She'll have you having her grandkids in no time…"

"Yeah whatever," Videl giggled, a smile forming on her lips. "I've been getting a lot of that lately you know. It ridiculous really, a guy and a girl can't be friends anymore without there being something romantic involved."

"Yeah, I was thinking the same thing." Gohan looked over at Videl, who was still wearing the same smile on her face. She rarely smiled when he first met her, but lately she seemed to smile all the time. Of course, he had no idea she only acted that way around him. "You know, you have a beautiful smile Videl, you should really consider showing it more often."

"Maybe I will…" Videl blushed slightly, wondering what exactly Gohan meant by that. Gohan acted so naïve at times she wondered if he even realized he sounded like he was hitting on her. Videl decided to let the issue sit for the moment, and looked back up at the sky. "I wish I could see the moon… At least one more time… The last time I saw it I was so young that I hardly remember what it looked like. I remember stories my parents use to tell me about how beautiful it was, especially when it was full and bright orange hanging up there in the sky. I wonder what happened to it anyway?"

Gohan thought twice before answering, but again decided telling her the truth was the best course of action. "I don't know. Maybe some alien with green skin from a planet called Namek blew it up with an energy blast or something."

Videl frowned ever so slightly, before breaking out into a giggling fit. "You have a very rich imagination there Gohan."

"Fine, don't believe me. You never know though, it might've happened."

"Believe whatever you want to Gohan."

The next few moments passed in an uneasy silence, both teens thinking over just what they wanted to say next. Videl heard sound coming from Gohan's mouth, but she didn't hear what he said. She was too preoccupied with her own thoughts, fighting with her own anxiety to whether or not she should express those thoughts out loud. Videl had never been a coward, so in the end she decided it wouldn't hurt to at least give it a shot. She turned on her side slowly, so she was facing Gohan. He turned his head in response, finding their faces were mere inches apart. Her breath was rather short as it gushed into his face, reeking of the steamed rice they had for dinner. He noticed how uneasy she looked. Almost shy in a way, and that was very uncharacteristic for her. 

"Is something on your mind?" Gohan asked. He was hypnotized in a way, forgetting his own anxiety. All he could focus on at the moment was Videl's eyes, and watched her lips move as she spoke.

"Yeah… I was just wondering Gohan… This might sound kind of stupid but… I don't mean anything by this, I'm just wondering… You're aware of what people have been saying about us lately right? I just wanted to know if you ever… You know… Thought about us as more then just friends?"

Panic. That's the only thought that came to mind, as he was completely ripped out of his stupor. He blushed a little, unsure of what to say. Videl was a hard one to figure out, and a wrong answer could mean he'd be sucking his meals through a straw for the next several months. Well, anyone else besides Gohan anyway. He wasn't sure how to answer. Was she hoping he'd say yes, or was she merely trying to trap him so she could make a fool out of him? No, he knew her better then that. She wouldn't do that kind of thing to anyone let alone him. Then again, she could get upset if he had been having some sort of unwelcome thoughts about her behind her back. Either way, a wrong answer could crush the seedling friendship they started, and it was just now beginning to bloom in recent weeks. Gohan could tell she was getting annoyed that it was taking him so long to answer, so he decided to go somewhere in between them both. 

"Oh, come on Videl, get real! You're kidding me right? That's a good one!"

"I'm not kidding, I was serious!" Videl growled, shooting up into a sitting position. "You find that funny?!"

Gohan followed suit, and regretted his chose of words immediately when he saw the look of anger on her face. "No, no not at all! Of course I've thought about it from time to time, but I mean it's impossible right?! Come on, you and me?! The idea's completely ludicrous right?"

"So I'm just a joke to you huh?! Well, I'm glad you got a laugh out of it, because I don't think it's funny! Why is the idea ludicrous, you think your too good for me?!"

"No! I just can't imagine someone like you going for a guy like me that's all!"

"So, now I'm shallow too?! Well fine! I'm glad to know how you really feel about me now! Do me a favor! Take a pair of your mother's chopsticks, and shove them up your ass! I'm out of here!"

"Videl wait!" Gohan called out to her as she stomped away. "I can't win can I?"

That's a woman for you Gohan. You can never win, so get use to it.

After regaining his senses, Gohan stood up and chased after Videl who was already climbing into her chopper. Chi-Chi and Goten were standing in the doorway, and looked up at the sky as Videl's helicopter flew off into the night. Chi-Chi looked back at her son who stared up into the sky stunned, looking like someone had just shoved a piece of paper into his face with the worlds longest calculus problem scribbled all over it. 

"Man, she was really mad," Goten squeaked, holding his mother's hand.

"Yeah… Figures. I guess she's gone for the night then."

"Too bad…" Goten looked up at his mom cheerfully. "Can I have her desert then?"

"Sure why not." Chi-Chi sighed, while Goten cheered and raced back into the house. "That's life for you I guess. I have one son worried about his love life, and the other's just worried about desert."

End.

-As I promised I've finally began to develop the actual plot to the story with this chapter. Seven and eight will stray a bit away from the main storyline in order to develop the relationship of Gohan and Videl, along with Ryo to a lesser extent. Every chapter will have at least a small part that moves the story along. Well thanks to everyone for reading, I appreciate you, especially the ones who reviewed. See you next time! 


	7. Chapter 7

-Note: Whew, I can finally take a breather now! I spent most of the month of January writing the first six chapters, and most of this month editing them. I wanted to write a big chunk of the story before posting to make sure I'd stick with it, and not get bored with it or disinterested and give up. If anything my interest has only grown, so I'm not worried about that happening anymore. Since I don't have anymore material on my hard drive waiting to be edited and posted, it will be a bit longer wait in between postings compared to what I've accomplished so far. I'm just reading and writing as I go now. Read and enjoy!

Chapter Seven

"Come on Videl, how many times do I have to say I'm sorry?" Gohan had been pleading with her since they walked into school that morning. Videl merely stuck her nose up, and turned her head away. Gohan wasn't about to give up that easily however. "Are you even listening to me? I don't know what I did to make you so upset with me, but whatever it was I'm sorry!"

"You shouldn't have laughed at me!"

"I wasn't laughing at you Videl, I thought I was laughing with you! You're the one who bites the head off of anyone who even suggests we might be a couple, so how could I have thought you were doing anything but joking! I only said what I thought you wanted to hear! The last thing I wanted to do was say something to offend or upset you, hell I was doing everything I could not to! Please believe me Videl!"

Videl was like a slab of stone at the moment, cold, emotionless, and unwavering. Seemingly unbreakable and impenetrable, until finally Gohan managed to cause a slight crack in that stone. This crack came in the form of a small smile, that Videl struggled with and finally lost the battle to keep it off her face. He looked so cute when he was desperate like that Videl couldn't help but laugh.

"You look so pathetic right now, I really don't have a choice but to believe you. All right I forgive you... I can never seem to stay mad at you anyway."

Gohan smiled with relief. "Really, I'm flattered. Heaven knows being and staying mad is your specialty."

Videl frowned. "What do you mean by that?!"

"Nothing, nothing! I was just joking, relax." Gohan begged off, deciding he better quit it there. He'd gotten himself into enough trouble with his mouth already. "So, if you want to, why don't you try asking me your question again, and I'll give you a serious answer this time."

A faint blush attacked Videl's cheeks, causing her to lower her head just a bit. "No, there's no reason to really. I didn't mean anything by it anyway, it was just a spur of the moment type deal. Like you said, the idea's ridiculous anyway."

"Um I guess… Well, we better get going, or we'll be late for class."

"You go ahead, I have to get something from my locker," Videl lied. She went to locker, but she didn't remove anything from inside. The purpose it served was to stop her forehead, as she banged it into the locker several times trying to knock some sense back into that thick skull of hers.

Something hurt. Something just didn't feel right… Some fluttery feeling in her chest… What would people call that? Disappointment maybe? No, that was pointless. So what if Gohan never thought of them as more then just friends? What did she care? Like they both said, the idea was ridiculous. No chance of anything happening between them right? Still, something inside hurt, and it was because of him.

This is why Videl never wanted to get involved or even interested in a guy like this. She had always found it sickening watching these teenaged girls pinning for their lost loves after getting their hearts broken, or because some guy doesn't return their feelings. Disgusting. Weak. Pathetic. Videl wasn't about to fall in that kind of trap, nor was she any one of those things. She never needed anybody anyway, and she saw no reason to ever feel the need for somebody else ever again. She was too strong to worry about that kind of crap. So, who cares what some guy thought of her? She certainly didn't but… "Damn you Gohan! You've got me all confused…"

"That kind of thing happens when you're falling in love," somebody jeered from behind her.

Videl spun around with every intention to put the lights out of whoever said that until she saw Ryo's smirking face behind her. She sighed, and dropped her arms to her sides. "Oh, it's only you."

"Well, happy birthday to you too!"

"It's your birthday?"

"No, just making sure you were paying attention," Ryo giggled halfheartedly. Videl's eyebrows rose as if they were making a note of that. "So, is it really that much of a bummer to lay eyes on me?"

"Depends on my mood," Videl smirked, and poked him in the chest with her index finger. "I was only kidding you. You take things too seriously sometimes Ryo, lighten up."

"Maybe I do," Ryo sighed. "So… How did your date with Gohan go last night?"

"It wasn't a date!" Videl's head snapped forward, and if Ryo hadn't known her as well as he did he might have thought she was trying to bite his head off.

"I'm only kidding you Videl, you take things too seriously sometimes," Ryo countered.

Videl gave him a heated gaze only to grunt shortly after, and propped her shoulder up against her locker. "As far as last night goes, let's just say it didn't go all that well. I think Gohan's mother wanted to crucify me, and towards the end of the night Gohan and I… Well…"

"Had some kind of fight?" Ryo deduced, a serious look washing over his face.

"Not a fight really, I just got mad at him… I know you like to joke about the two of us having a thing for each other as much as anybody, but in all honesty I don't think Gohan cares for the idea much. I tried to ask him about it, and he pretty much laughed in my face and told me the idea was ridiculous."

So that's why she seems kind of down in the dumps this morning Ryo thought, relating that observation to his own feelings. "So what Videl? You say the exact same thing to just about every one else, so why do you sound so downhearted that he said the exact same thing to you?"

"I'm not upset if that's what you're getting at!" Videl flared growing agitated. "Just offended he didn't take the subject seriously. I totally agree with him, but um… He didn't have to laugh at me!"

"You know, I think you might be jumping to conclusions Videl. Knowing Gohan he probably heard you blowing the subject off to everyone who brought it up, so he probably figured that's what you wanted to hear. To tell you the truth I think he has a bit of a crush on you."

Videl blushed slightly. "You really think so? I mean, not that I care or anything! Just well…"

"I understand…" Ryo faked a smile, and placed a hand on Videl's shoulder. "You'll figure everything out soon enough. We better get to class or we'll be late."

"Right…" Just as Ryo turned to go off on his way, Videl grabbed him by the arm and turned him back around. "Hold on a second Ryo. Are you feeling okay? You don't look or sound yourself today."

"No, I'm fine. Just have a lot on my mind."

Videl frowned, not satisfied with his answer. Ryo wasn't one to hide his emotions very well in the first place, and in particular had trouble when he was sad or depressed. Videl called out to him, but Ryo ignored her and kept on moving. Videl wasn't happy about it, but she let the matter slide for the moment. She had all day to figure out what was up anyway.

----------

Ryo didn't say much throughout the rest of the school day. Videl was getting very worried about him, and after telling Gohan what she'd observed had gotten him concerned as well. Ryo usually isolated himself from the crowd, but he had never deliberately distanced himself from her and Gohan like he was that afternoon. He avoided them like the plague, and didn't even bother to sit with them at lunch or during study hall. Whatever was weighing on his mind, he obviously didn't want to talk about it. Gohan tried to convince Videl that Ryo clearly wanted to be left alone, but she was as stubborn as ever. The school day ended without Ryo muttering more then two words to them. The two teens watched their friend as he snuck out of the school.

"Well, he's gone, and we still don't know what's bothering him," Gohan announced. "What do we do now?"

"What do you think we do now?! We follow him!"

"Follow him?! You'd think you would've learned your lesson the last time!" Gohan joked, remembering the time Videl had ran into him in the alley one day when she was tailing him, ironically while he was tailing Ryo. "Are you sure that's a wise choice though? It's not polite to mess around with somebody else's business when they want to keep their privacy."

"I know but I'm worried about him," Videl argued. "Besides… Even though he was upset this morning he still took the time to try to give me advice on my problems… I want to return the favor, but it's kind of difficult when I don't know what's wrong with him!"

"You have a point, but then why do you need me?"

"I don't need you, you don't have to come if you don't want to!" Videl frowned. That look almost told him the exact opposite, you better come along with me or you're toast. Gohan picked up on this right away. 

"No, I'll go. I'm worried about him too… I'm just not that comfortable with the thought of stalking a friend." 

"Don't consider it stalking then… Let's just call it situational surveillance."

Gohan cocked an eyebrow. "Kay…"

Gohan and Videl followed Ryo who was on a path that seemed to go nowhere. Gohan felt extremely nervous the entire time. Ryo had to know they were following him, yet he hadn't looked back or made any erratic attempts to ditch them. He just kept on walking slowly. Maybe he was too zoned out to sense them behind him, or maybe he just didn't care. He did make one interesting pit stop along the way at a small novelty store, emerging after only five minutes with a small stuffed teddy bear. Now Videl in particular was more intrigued by what he was up to then ever. They continued to follow him to his final destination, and to say the least they were shocked when they arrived there. It was Satan City General Hospital. Videl knew the place quite well, it was where her mother gave birth to her after all. In fact, the blessed event was inscribed on a large plague in the square that Gohan giggled at slightly as he read the inscription allowed. 

"Satan City General Hospital, birthplace of Videl Satan, our cities favorite daughter."

"Ignore that, and let's go inside!" Videl blushed, as she stormed towards the entrance.

The first thing Videl did upon entering the hospital was walk over to the reception desk. "Um… Excuse me, but did a boy in a brown overcoat just walk in here? He's about 5'10, brown hair, brown eyes, and wears a school uniform that's simply a white t-shirt, and blue khaki pants."

Gohan nearly sweat dropped. Her description sounded almost like a police profile, but that might have been from force of habit. Both friends were rather stunned when the receptionist smiled, and answered Videl almost immediately. "Oh, you must mean Ryo. Yes Miss Videl, he arrived just a few moments ago. He's just up the hall visiting room 16b. Go right ahead."

"Um… You mean that's it?" Videl stammered. "You tell us just like that, and you're going to let us through? Aren't you supposed to protect your patients privacy or something?!"

The receptionist seemed confused, until she apparently picked up on her concern. "Oh, don't worry about that. Ryo informed me that you two would be following him in shortly, and to tell you two to go right ahead."

Gohan did sweat drop this time. I knew it, he did sense us! Oh well, at least he's inviting us inside.

"How did he know we were following him?!" Videl wondered, as they followed the directions the receptionist had given them. 

"I dunno… Maybe he sensed our energy?"

"Yeah sure, whatever… Whatever it was, it had to be your fault Gohan. You need to be more elusive next time!"

"If you say so Videl."

Ryo entered the hospital room quietly, not wanting to disturb the young lady he was visiting if she was asleep. Not that it would've been easy to wake her mind you. Ryo walked over to her bedside, and looked down sadly. She couldn't have been older then nine years old, not a strand of hair on her head, and a bony lifeless body who's only purpose now seemed to be to wait to die. Ryo sighed sadly, and placed the little teddy bear he'd bought her in her feeble little arm. If anything so she would know he'd been there once he had to leave. It was heartbreaking to think how different she looked as little as three months ago. So full of energy and hope, and now here she was a decaying shell waiting to let go of life…

Two months before

"Hey Gwen, I'm here," Ryo announced as he walked into her room. "You ready to go?"

"RYO!" the girl yelped excitedly, standing upright on her bed. She flung her arms around Ryo's waist, nearly knocking the ball cap off her head as she hugged him. "I'm so glad you came, I was afraid you might not show up for a minute there!"

"Hey, a promise is a promise," Ryo said, cradling Gwen in his arms like well… A small child. "Besides, I'm not about to let my little buddy down. So you really have never been to the zoo before?"

The little girl shook her head no. "Unt-uh. I can't remember the last time I was outside the hospital, and before that I spent most of the time inside the orphanage!"

"I'm glad to see you're so excited!" Ryo giggled. "Hey, you've been a good girl, you deserve this."

"Just make sure you have her back by six," the doctor chimed in, smiling warmly at the adorable scene. "She needs to be back in time for her therapy treatments." 

"No problem, I'll take good care of her sir," Ryo assured him, before he headed through the door still holding on to Gwen. "So, what do you want to see first sweetheart?"

"I want to see the snakes!"

"The snakes?! Why in the world would you want to see snakes?!"

"I want to see what they look like! Mama always said daddy was a snake."

"Ha, ha! I don't think she meant that literally Gwen! It's not necessarily a good thing either."

Ryo sighed, and sunk into the chair next to Gwen's bed, much like he had everyday for the past four days. The doctor said it wouldn't be long now, probably by the end of the week. He certainly didn't wish to see it happen, but he wanted to be there regardless, just in case she awoke somewhere along the way. He didn't want her to think she'd been abandoned again much like she had been so many times before in her young life. That was the main trait that drew him to her after all. Their one and possibly only common bond. He knew he shouldn't have gotten close to her. All the warning signs were there, but he chose to ignore them. She didn't have anybody else, and he didn't have anybody else at the time. He told the consequences to fuck off, and let his heart overrule his head for once. He'd only known her for a little over four months, but that was more then enough time to grow attached to her. He shouldn't have allowed it, but he did and now held no regrets for it.

"Come in," Ryo said to apparently no one. At first no one replied, and all he heard from the outside was some frantic startled arguing. A few moments later the door finally opened, and a nervous Videl followed by Gohan entered the room.

"Hey Ryo… Sorry to bother you, but from the looks of things you were expecting us… How did you know we were behind the door anyway?"

  
"I have my ways," Ryo answered, but not to Videl's satisfaction. Gohan placed a hand on her shoulder, and answered for Ryo before Videl could grill him about it.

"I'm sure he probably heard our footsteps coming down the hall. The hallway was rather empty."

"Yeah, that's it Gohan," Ryo laughed weakly. 

Videl appeared ready to make a comment of her own when her eyes fell upon the limp body spread out across the hospital bed for the first time. Both her and Gohan's face widened in shock. They walked slowly around Ryo, each manning one of Ryo's sides, both of them a bit too overwhelmed to say anything right away. After a moment or two of awkward silence, Gohan finally managed to chock out a few words.

"Did… Do you know this girl Ryo?"

"Yeah, she's a friend of mine…" Ryo sighed sadly.

"What's wrong with her?…" Videl winced at how stupid that question sounded to her. 

"She's sick… Very sick, and she's not going to get any better."

"Oh really…" Videl gulped, blushing ever so slightly. She didn't have to deal with guilt very often, but she was feeling it now. That blush was mostly from realizing she had waked into something she shouldn't have, and on closer inspection, she wouldn't have wanted to if she had know. "I'm sorry… We're prying aren't we? We were wondering why you've been so depressed lately, and I guess this answers our question… Boy does it ever! I'm sorry again… Maybe we should go…"

"No, you guys are fine," Ryo replied quickly. "Actually, I appreciate it. I'm not all that wild about the thought of being followed around, but it's nice to know somebody actually cares."

"Of course we care Ryo," Gohan said, as he placed his hand on his shoulder. "Your our friend…"

Ryo forced a small, but not illegitimate smirk. "Thanks Gohan… You too Videl."

"So…" Gohan stammered, completely dumbfounded as to what to say next. He juggled some words around the roof of his mouth, until they were finally ready to be released. "So… How do you know her exactly?"

"I met her right here. I've been a volunteer at this hospital for a little over a year now. I donate some of my excess free time to spend it with sick children who don't have anyone, and truthfully don't have much of a future. Most of the kids in the program are terminally ill, inflicted with diseases that have a history of very low survival rates. Normally, it's just a onetime thing, it almost has to be to keep the kids and the volunteers from getting to attached to each other."

"So, you're saying she's one of those children?" Gohan asked sadly.

"Yeah…" Ryo ran his hand through his thick brown hair before continuing. "I knew what I was getting into when I met her. Her doctor even told me back then that she'd be lucky to live through the year… That was about five moths ago, and it looks like he was right… She's not expected to live through the week…"

"Then why did you let yourself get close?…" Videl asked in close to a hushed whisper. 

Ryo sighed again, and sunk back into his chair. "I'm not even sure. Something drew me to her. My best guess would be because she's a lot like me in a few ways. She doesn't have any parents, or any other family to speak of. She didn't have anybody else so… I knew she wasn't long for this world, but I ignored that fact. I knew it would hurt when the day came, but I couldn't let her spend the last few months of her life alone. Nobody deserves to die alone."

Gohan opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. He looked over at Videl, and if he didn't know the girl so well he would've swore she looked like she wanted to cry. After struggling to find the right words, Videl finally came straight out with a question she hoped wasn't too offensive or nosey. "But… How can you handle it Ryo? You can't possibly tell me your perfectly fine with sitting here and watching her die!"

Ryo frowned. He was expecting a question along those lines, but the way Videl spoke it got under his skin. She almost made it sound like she was accusing him of getting some type of demented enjoyment out of this. Then again, he knew how brash and straightforward Videl could be at times, so he tried his best to shake the issue off. He was used to her speaking before she thought anyway. "Of course not, the last thing I want to do is watch her die! But… I want to make sure I'm here for her in case she wakes up somewhere along the way. The next time she does may be the last, and I don't want her to feel alone when she does. I know it's going to hurt, but I got myself into this and I'm going to see it through to the end. I'm not going to duck out at the very end and leave her stranded because it might save myself a little pain. Either way it's going to hurt, so I might as well be here so I can say good-bye in a way…"

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean that the way it sounded," Videl said as she placed her hand on the back of his neck, gently rubbing her fingers across it comfortingly. Ryo noticed, and was a bit shocked at the gentle gesture, but he didn't show it. 

Feeling uneasy, Gohan was still having trouble getting his lips to spit out what he wanted to say. "Um… Maybe we should be going now Videl. I don't think we understood quite what we were walking into…"

"That's for sure," Videl said softly. "That's probably a good idea… Um Ryo?"

Ryo noted the look she gave him, asking him what he wanted them to do. "Yeah, you guys can go ahead and go if you want. This is my problem not yours. Thanks for worrying about me though. I'll see you in school tomorrow."

"Sure bye…" They both said, taking their time with walking towards the door. They took one last look back at Ryo who didn't bother to look back. Sensing it was time, they left the room leaving Ryo alone with his ailing friend.

********

He could feel it. The next level… His energy was surging through his body, closing in to that next level of power he was so desperate to achieve. The same level he watched a boy of eleven achieve almost seven years before. He worked tirelessly every day, and felt himself grow stronger with each that past, but he could never seem to break that plain. Just how much strength did it take to reach that level?! How much stronger must Gohan be now?… Vegeta growled every time he thought about it. No matter how hard he tried and worked there was always somebody stronger then him, someone he had to chase after. First the tyrant Frieza, then Kakarott, and now his eldest son. That was okay though. It gave him something to work at. Something to train for. He wouldn't rest until he was strong enough to defeat both of them. He'd be the strongest fighter in the universe even if it took his dying breath to accomplish it.

He felt his power surge higher. He was almost there, he could sense himself ready to break that plain at any moment. Just a few more seconds… But it wasn't to be. His head snapped up in attention, as he sensed another Ki enter the gravity room with him. Enraged, Vegeta powered down, and barked at the culprit he suspected had broken his concentration. "Trunks! Is that you in here?! Show yourself! I told you not to bother me! I was in the middle of a serious training session, and I just completely lost my focus because of you! Come out, and explain yourself!"

Trunks never appeared though, and that made Vegeta suspicious. On closer inspection, he realized the Ki he was sensing didn't belong to his son at all. It was roughly as high as his son's outside of Super Sayian form, and that's what threw him off at first. If it had been Trunks, the boy would've showed himself the moment his father called his name. Vegeta traced the Ki to a darkened section of the gravity room. He charged up a Ki blast, and sent it flying to the darkened corner. A sheet of smoke filled the room, and once it cleared Vegeta watched some fool dressed in a red Gi with matching mask stumble into view. 

"Ugh… So you sensed me coming did you? This is truly embarrassing. I'll have to be more careful in the future."

  
"Who are you, and what the hell do you think your doing invading my home?!" Vegeta growled. "I'm not the patient type, and I'd like to know the answers so be quick about it before I break you in half!"

The ninja cackled, as he stood upright on his feet. "My name is Jerin of the Ray Lien. It's a pleasure to meet Vegeta, Prince of the Sayians. I've come to take your life."

Vegeta laughed at this. "You coming to take my life? I see, you're from that cowardly band of overrated assassins. You didn't really expect that to impress me did you? I'm sorry to tell you this, but you've wasted your time. There's no way you can defeat me, and there's no way your leaving here alive!"

"An arrogant one aren't you?" Jerin asked nonchalantly. "I was planning to make your death quick, but since you tried to make a fool out of me it's going to be much more painful." Jerin unsheathed his sword, and pointed it at Vegeta. "Of course you know a Ray Lien hasn't failed on a mission in over two hundred years, and I have no intentions to be the first."

Jerin didn't give Vegeta time for the witty comeback he had planned. Jerin lunged forward, swiping at Vegeta with his katana. Vegeta easily dodged it, but was taken by surprise by a swift kick Jerin landed right into his gut. Vegeta stumbled back a bit, but quickly rebounded to either dodge or block several more sword swings and kicks Jerin threw at him. Vegeta smiled. This guy was quick, very quick. Vegeta fought off several more blows, before launching an offensive of his own. As expected, Jerin easily avoided all of Vegeta's swipes, but little to his knowledge the Sayian was holding back more then the Ray Lien could ever imagine.

Vegeta underestimated his opponent just a bit. He let his guard down ever so slightly allowing Jerin to land a hard sidekick to his side. Jerin flipped himself over, his foot connecting with Vegeta's chin. The Sayian Prince went flying backwards, connecting with the ground hard. He opened his eyes and they quickly filled with the sight of his would-be assassin after he leapt high in the air, and coming down towards him with his katana aimed at his heart. Vegeta smirked, and like a flash he was gone, leaving Jerin's katana to connect with the ground. The tip of the blade broke off as a result of the friction. 

"I'll have to admit I underestimated you," Vegeta grinned, as he wiped a small trickle of blood from his mouth. "So tell me. When your masters send you out on missions, they usually send someone with an equal or higher power level then the target they're after don't they?"

"Of course." Jerin prepared himself to continue the battle as he spoke. "It's the best way to achieve results."

"I see… So answer me one more question. Were you chosen as my assassin based off the power level I was at when I worked under Frieza?"

"Yes, it was all we had to go on. We assumed you'd get stronger over time, so we compensated for it. In other words, I'm more then a match for you."

"So I see," Vegeta continued. "That explains thing. I was wondering why the Ray Lien would send such a weakling to face me! I wasn't sure whether to be insulted or amused!"

Jerin growled. "You speak arrogantly for a man who just nearly lost his life."

"Oh please spare me! I was never in any danger of losing my life! The only reason your still breathing right now is because I haven't had a good fight in a while, and I was hoping you'd pose some sort of challenge to me! To tell you the truth your beginning to bore me, so I think I'll end this now so I can get back to some serious training!" Vegeta charged up his Ki, completely putting a halt to any retort Jerin had in line as he transformed to a Super Sayian. He grinned in satisfaction at the way Jerin's eyes bulged out at the sight of Vegeta's power surge.

Before Jerin knew what hit him it was already over. Faster then his eyes could see Vegeta charged forward, and drove his knee hard into the ninja's gut. Jerin's head came forward only to receive a hard punch underneath the chin, sending him flying a good forty feet across the gravity room. Jerin pushed himself up slowly, and checked his head to make sure it was still there. It was for the time being. Vegeta stalked over to him slowly, then grabbing him by the collar of his Gi, and hosting the ninja up in the air.

"You know what this means don't you?" Vegeta asked him manically, as he charged up a Ki attack.

"What?" Jerin coughed weakly, even though Vegeta was chocking most of the air out of his lungs.

"Your two hundred year streak is over."

Vegeta fired a Ki blast into Jerin's chest, literally imploding his body on contact, sending his remains splattering all over the gravity room. Vegeta moaned in frustration, regretting his decision instantly. "Damn! I knew I shouldn't have used such a strong attack... This mess is going to take hours to clean up!"

Vegeta prepared himself to get back to his training when he remembered something. A dark and vicious side to the Ray Lien, that would even make a Sayian of the planet trade days puke. Their reputation of going after a targets family aside from the actual target himself. Vegeta did something right then that he wasn't particularly use to. He panicked. He stormed out of the gravity room, triggering the automatic shut off system. Vegeta raced down the hallway, screeching to a halt at his son's room. He threw the door open, and looked inside. He found Trunks perfectly fine, sleeping soundly and snoring rather loudly. 

Vegeta sighed with relief, and closed the door behind him. He headed towards his bedroom showing much more composure, but walked a little faster then normal regardless. He came through the door to find his wife sitting upright on the bed, looking up at him with concern riddled in her expression. "Vegeta? What's going on, I heard a lot of commotion coming from the…"

Bulma stopped as she watched Vegeta approach her, his usual serious expression on his face. Bulma was a bit frightened for a second, before Vegeta laid down next to her, and pulled her into a tight hug. "Don't you ever scare me like that again woman!"

"Vegeta…" Bulma smiled, as Vegeta let go of her. "What's up anyway?"

"It's nothing to worry yourself about," Vegeta responded calmly. "I had a visitor, but he was nothing I couldn't handle."

"A visitor? What did he want?"

"My life."

"Your life! I guess the poor guy didn't know what he was getting into huh?" Bulma's eyes widened, as a terrifying thought occurred to her. "Oh no, Trunks! We need to…"

"He's fine I already checked," Vegeta interrupted. He suddenly stood up off the bed, and headed for the door. "Speaking of which, I have something I have to do… I'll be a while so don't wait up for me."

"You going to patrol his room for a while just in case?" Bulma smiled.

Vegeta didn't say anything. He just grunted, wearing his usual scowl, and left the room. Bulma giggled as her husband closed the door behind him. "Good-night Vegeta."

********

"I can't believe he'd do something like that!" Videl nearly laughed, a broad smile stretching across her face. "Guys aren't supposed to be sensitive like that… It's so sweet of him to do what he's been doing for that girl… I can only imagine the mess her life must be in. It seems so sad though to get close to somebody when you know they're not long for this world. I know I wouldn't be able to do it, he's made of much sterner stuff then I am in that department. Guys like him give me hope for your gender yet Gohan."

"I agree… Hey! We're not that bad! At least I'm not…" Gohan didn't have to think twice about it, he merely used it as dramatic effect for his joke. That scene they had witnessed in the hospital a little more then an hour before was depressing, so they were looking for any type of distraction that might perk up their mood. During their quest for this goal, they found themselves sitting on a bench in the park watching the sun begin to set in the sky. "Geez Videl, look at you! You're practically beaming! You don't have a crush on Ryo or something now do you?"

"Of course not!" Videl laughed, like that was the most absurd thing she had ever heard. "He's cute, but I'm not interested in him in that way. Besides, he supposedly has that girlfriend hidden away somewhere that he wont ever talk about."

Gohan frowned and smiled at the same time, in a way that could rival even Videl. He wasn't sure whether to be offended or amused. "Hey, wait just one minute! I joke with you about liking Ryo, and you laugh it off like's it nothing! If someone teases you about liking me you threaten to beat them to a bloody pulp! Are you playing favorites or what?!"

"No, it's nothing like that!" For some reason Videl's face exploded red, causing her to turn her head in the other direction hoping Gohan wouldn't notice. Too late for that though, as she could tell when he started to laugh.

"You really hate the idea of that don't you? Oh well, I guess I can't blame you… So Videl, tell me something. You don't like Ryo, but would you tell me if there is anybody else out there you might have feelings for? You don't have to give me a name or anything, I'm just curious. Just a yes or no answer, and if you do tell me then I'll tell you a secret about myself. You know you can trust me not to tell anybody else."

It didn't take long for Videl to decide. The red had completely drained from her cheeks, showing nothing now but a confident smile as she turned back around to face him. She looked Gohan dead in the eyes as she answered him. "Yes. A little bit anyway… For some guy I met recently. It's kind of strange because I've never really been interested in a guy before. They were all the same to me. A typical guy was nothing more then a self-centered, egotistical, arrogant jerk, who was only interested in getting what they wanted out of girls. Then *he* had to come along and prove he was everything but those things, and now he's got me all confused. I really hate him for it too."

"Awe, poor Videl," Gohan pouted. "You hate the guy because you kind of like him in a way you want nothing to do with. I don't see why it bothers you anyway, did you plan on staying single your entire life?"

"Wouldn't bother me none," Videl replied right before a mischievous smile crossed her face. "Okay, now it's my turn! So Gohan… Just about every girl in school has been crawling all over you since the day you enrolled. There has to be at least one of them who's caught your attention hasn't there?"

"Hmm…" Gohan thought it over a moment. "To tell you the truth, I'm not really sure."

"How can you not be sure?! You either like someone or you don't!"

"Yeah, I know. What I mean is that I'm not sure what the feeling is or means, so I can't tell you if I feel it or not. There is somebody… All I know is that I feel good whenever I'm around her, and thinking about her makes me smile most of the time. Whether you want to call it a crush or whatever else you might want to call it, I feel something, I'm just not sure how to describe it. I've never felt that way before, so I don't know if that's what I'm feeling or not."

"That's exactly what it is Gohan," Videl said, as she frowned slightly. She wondered whom he could be talking about. She hadn't noticed him associating directly with any other girls, and she knew he couldn't have been talking about her. Whoever it was, she felt the sudden urge to beat the hell out of her. "If that's the case then why don't you tell her?"

"Why don't you tell him?" Gohan countered.

"Okay, I get your point!" Videl submitted after a brief stare down, leaving Gohan with his usual half grin. "It's not as easy as it sounds. Besides, there's no point in me saying anything anyway. I doubt he'd be interested in someone like me. I don't need anybody, and nobody would ever be interested in me like that anyway…"

Videl turned her head away again, and Gohan just glared at the back of it. Could she really be serious? Videl Satan, the very girl half the guys at Orange Star High School were lusting over? He frowned at first, but that eventually gave way to laugher. "You've got to be kidding me Videl! That's a lie and you know it! You're a very attractive young lady Videl. If you can look that good in a pair of shorts and a couple of pony tails, just think of how many heads you could turn if you ever decide to dress up a little or let your hair down. I guess that would take away from your charm a bit though… Still, I know most guys are afraid of you and all, but you're really sweet and fun to be around once they get to know you. Any guy would be lucky to have you Videl, I can't see why you don't see that."

Videl looked back at Gohan, blushing like the boiling mouth of a volcano. "Do you really mean that Gohan?…"

"Of course! I mean I wouldn't…" Gohan was about to continue, when he noticed Videl's eyes were locked into him. There was something shimmering inside of them, something, and she looked almost bashful as she peered back into his. Whatever that look meant, it was scaring Gohan to death. He suddenly realized the way he was talking sounded a lot like he was trying to hit on her, and Gohan feared she might lash out at him at any moment now if he didn't shut his trap right then. "Umm… Um, I mean that's the way most guy's look at you, I'm sure of it! I don't mean anything by it that is… I mean I meant what I said, but that's not necessarily the way I feel mind you. I mean, I'm not trying to make it sound like I'm flirting with you, I was only trying to make you feel better about yourself. I still meant it, but I know we're just friends and…"

Gohan had expected that speech to be his salvation, but when he looked down Videl's face was turning red again. This time she wasn't blushing, she was downright angry. "ALRIGHT! I'VE HEARD ENOUGH!" Videl pie faced Gohan in the middle of his rant, shoving him off the bench onto his back. Videl stood up and arched her back over, so she was staring a terrified Gohan dead in the eyes. "You got your point across Gohan! You know it's not nice to lead a girl on like that, especially when it's me you jerk! Next time you open your mouth, make sure you know what your talking about, or just shut the hell up!"

"Videl wait!" Gohan called, as Videl stormed off mumbling something to herself. Gohan pulled himself back on the bench, and stared after Videl in utter confusion. "What did I say now?"

End.

-To tell the truth I almost skipped this chapter all together. It had little to do with the actual story line, so I almost skipped writing it to get to the bulk of the story quicker. I'm not very happy with the way it came out, but there are a few things that needed to be said. I could've done better, but oh well…

__

Next Chapter Ewe… I'm going to have fun with this one. Gohan's going on his first date… Well, sort of, but the catch is it's not with Videl. Let's just say she's not exactly giddy over the news, and overreacts like only she can. Ah, you'll just have to read and find out. 


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

Life is known for the little mysteries it can create. Such as the pyramids, Stone Hedge, and the Bermuda Triangle. Gohan didn't care what anybody said about any of that for he had discovered the most bizarre and unsolvable mystery ever known to mankind. Women. He couldn't understand them for the life of him. And he thought his mother and Bulma were rare birds, but Videl made even them seem tame. He just couldn't figure out what she wanted. A week had passed since that incident in the park, and to his relief she and Gohan had made up rather easily the next morning. However, that didn't stop several similar incident's from occurring later that week. Nothing that broke out into a fight or anything major, but bad enough to upset Videl at least a bit. 

It didn't help matters much that he was beginning to come to grips with these feelings he'd been experiencing. Yes, he was slowly starting to accept it, he was starting to care for Videl as more then just his friend. He tried to play dumb to the fact that that's what the feeling that had been growing inside him had been the entire time, but the game was long over. He couldn't pretend he didn't understand anymore. Everyone let him now about it anyway. His mother, Ryo, Erasa, half the school, and even Videl though she hadn't a clue Gohan had been talking about her when he told her what he was feeling. Whether this was a good thing or a bad thing, Gohan hadn't quite decided just yet. It complicated things, that was for sure. These *feelings* could destroy a friendship if they weren't handled perfectly.

"Gohan! Are you spaced out or what?!" a slightly squeaky female voice asked from beside him. Gohan finally shook some sense back into this head, and finally took notice to the young lady who had been trying to grab his attention for over a minute now.

"Huh? Oh, I'm sorry Kamari, I didn't notice you there. I was just thinking…"

"So, I noticed." Kamari blushed as she asked her next question. "Do you mind if I sit down? There's something I want to ask you."

"Of course not, go right ahead." Gohan smiled at the girl, as she sat down at the lunch table next to him. He really liked Kamari. She's what Gohan imagined his little sister being like if he had ever had one. "What's on your mind?"

The girl's blush darkened. "Well… I was just wondering. This might sound kind of strange, but I never properly thanked you for helping Scott and me out all that time ago. It took me a while, but I decided maybe I could thank you by maybe buying you dinner tonight or something."

"I told you already that you didn't need to thank me Kamari," Gohan laughed. "That's sweet of you, but it's really not necessary."

"I know, but it would make me feel a lot better. Come on accept, you have nothing to lose and it's a free meal. I promise I won't bug you anymore about it. Come on, give a girl a thrill."

"Now hold on a second!" A sly smile crossed his face. "Are you really looking to thank me, or is this just an excuse to tell people you went on a date with me?"

"Well, maybe a little bit of both," Kamari answered honestly. "And I do have some ulterior motives…"

"Like what?"

"Well…" Kamari leaned over, and whispered something into Gohan's ear. A smiled crossed his lips from about half way through the explanation, ended with a cheerful laugh from him.

"Is that it really? Awe, that's cute! In that case, of course I'll play along with you Kamari."

"Thanks Gohan," Kamari sighed, helping some of the blush to leave her cheeks. "Just promise me you won't tell anyone okay?"

"No problem. I promise."

Kamari said her goodbyes, and left just as Ryo and Videl arrived with their lunches. Videl eyed the girl suspiciously as she disappeared into the mass of humanity gathered in the lunchroom, before taking her normal seat next to Gohan. Ryo sat down across from them either not noticing or caring that the girl was even there. "Hey, isn't that the girl you saved from Rico a couple months ago Gohan? What did she want?"

"Oh that…" Gohan blushed slightly. "Um… She still wants to thank me properly for helping her and her brother out, so she's taking me out for dinner tonight I guess."

"What?!" Videl's eyes widened to the size of hubcaps, while Ryo nearly chocked on the food. "You mean like a date?!"

"No not exactly… She just wants to thank me, and I couldn't tell her no…"

Uh-oh, this isn't going to be pretty Ryo thought to himself, as Videl stood up from her seat.

"Well, it sounds like a date to me! Why couldn't you tell her no?! All you had to do was politely tell her you weren't interested!"

"Well, I tried, but she talked me into it! Besides, she's not really interested in a date or anything she just…" Gohan stopped himself as he remembered his promise to Kamari. He couldn't tell Videl about that even if it would save his hide, for whatever reason she was angry with him for. That just wasn't Son Gohan.

"She's just what?! Come on, spit it out Gohan!"

"Whoa, calm down Videl!" Ryo laughed, as he stood up next to her. "It doesn't matter whether it's a date or not. It's not like he's your boyfriend or anything, so I don't see why you're getting so jealous all of the sudden."

"I'M NOT JEALOUS!" Videl screamed into Ryo's face, knocking him back down into his seat. 

It seemed that then a light bulb went off in Videl's head tipping her off to just what she was doing. A blinding blush attacked her cheeks that seemingly forced her to lower her head, and sink back into her seat. "Of course I'm not jealous, that's ridiculous… Gohan has every right to go out with or be friends with anyone he pleases…"

"Then why did you get so mad then?" Ryo asked with an evil grin, only to get a bag of chocolate milk in the face. Luckily for him, somehow it didn't break and splash all over his head like Videl had hoped. "Touchy this afternoon aren't we?"

"I just remembered guys, I have something I need to do before class starts, so I'll see you two later," Gohan said, using the same tired old excuse he used whenever he wanted to get out of a situation fast. He didn't know why Videl was mad at him, but he knew when she was the best thing he could do was get as far away from her as possible.

"But what about your lunch?" Videl asked, sounding a little more desperate then she would've liked.

"I'm done already!" Gohan replied.

"In five minutes?!" Videl called after him, but he was already out of earshot or so she thought. In the mean time, Ryo nearly face faulted into his lunch.

Gohan you dork! You can't tell me you didn't pick up on any of that?! Come on… You should've confronted her about it, not turn tail and run like some sissy! He can't be that clueless, there's just no way! Oh well… At least Videl's still here for me to pick on.

"So…" Ryo opened his mouth to do just that, when Videl shot him a look that said if you dare say anything your going to be getting more then a bag of milk in your face. Because of that, Ryo decided to take a different, much less life-threatening road. "So, I guess that news means any hope I had that you and Gohan really were doing something behind my back is dashed huh?"

"Well obviously," Videl snorted. 

"So, what are you going to do about it?"

"What do you think I'm going to do about it?"

"Knowing you, you're probably going to crash the party."

Videl smirked. "So, are you going to help me or not?"

"Hey, it's your love life not mine." Ryo smiled, a truly devious plan forming in the boy's head the entire time.

Videl chose to ignore that comment for the time being. "Whatever… So… How is your friend from the hospital doing?"

Ryo got a far off look in his eyes. He smiled slightly, and turned his head towards the ceiling. "So, do you think it'll rain today?"

Videl took the hint. "Na, but you never know."

********

"What?! A date! What have I told you about your studies Gohan?! You can't be wasting your time gallivanting around with these girls!"

"It's not a date mom!" Gohan pleaded his case with her. "She just wants to thank me for saving her from some bullies a couple months back. That, and she wants me to help her with something else she had me promise not to say anything else about!"

"Oh, come on Gohan," Krillen said, as he punched the teenaged prodigy in the arm. "You really expect us to believe that? I'm not surprised though, seeing how all those girls flock around you I figured it was only a matter of time before you hit the dating circuit."

Gohan frowned. "How many times do I have to say this?! It's not a date! Do I have to spell it out loud for you?!"

Gohan's heated gaze caused the short man to rock back in his chair at the Son household's kitchen table. Usually, Gohan had a decent sense of humor, but Gohan's reaction convinced Krillen he shouldn't doubt the Demi-Sayians word. "Gee, I was only kidding, lighten up Gohan. If it bother's you that much then I'll give it a rest."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to yell at you… My friend Videl's mad at me again because of this, and I really don't feel up to being teased about this…"

"Well, she should be mad at you Gohan," Chi-Chi jumped into the conversation. "After all, I can't believe a son of mine would be going out with a girl other then his girlfriend anyway. I thought I raised you better then that?!"

"Wait a minute! So Gohan does have a girlfriend!" Krillen laughed.

"She's not my girlfriend!" Gohan insisted, but the red on his face said otherwise. 

Krillen wanted to laugh at the expression on Gohan's face. The way his cheeks lit up with embarrassment, an almost exact opposite reaction from the serious look of anger he had shown before. Yes, there was obviously something going on with this one. "Videl huh? I'm insulted Gohan, how come you've never mentioned her to me before?"

"Because I knew you'd goad me like that if I told you I had a girlfriend! I mean a girl that's a friend! Oh, you know what I mean! Look, you've got me all worked up now! I need to get ready, I'm supposed to meet Kamari in less then an hour!" 

Gohan used that excuse to excuse himself from the table, and disappear upstairs into his room. "Man he's got it that bad huh?" Krillen asked Chi-Chi once Gohan was well out of earshot. "I didn't know a human being could turn that shade of red. Half-Sayian or not."

"Yeah, he's losing it quick even if he won't admit it," Chi-Chi sighed. "I am his mother after all, I can see things like that. I guess Videl would make a good wife for Gohan. She's a bit rude, but other then that the only thing I can find wrong with her is that she's that fraud Hercule's daughter. 

Krillen had taken a sip of water, only to now sputter it around the kitchen like a lawn sprinkler. "Hercule's daughter?! Whoa that's deep… How the hell did that happen anyway?"

"Damned if I know, they met at school or something. I guess I can live with that horse's ass as an in-law as long as he's rich, Gohan's happy, and hopefully the grandkids won't be too prone to delinquency."

"Um… Chi-Chi, don't you think your getting a bit ahead of yourself with the marriage and grandkids talk already? Gohan's only been in school about three months now, so they can't have known each other very long."

Chi-Chi frowned. "Of course I'm not getting ahead of myself! I'm planning my son's future here!"

"I see," Krillen laughed nervously. "But do uh… Videl and Gohan know anything about this?"

Chi-Chi got up in Krillen's face forcing the smaller man to inch down into his seat. "Stop arguing with me unless you want to go from a short man back to a short bald man again!"

"Shutting up now! Shutting up… He, he…"

********

"Thanks for not making me dress up for this Kamari. I hate getting dressy, and stuff like that…"

"Why would I have Gohan? Kamari smiled, with her chin resting in her hands. They were parked in a booth of a small restaurant near the school. "Its just dinner after all. Like I said, no strings attached. I only meant to be friendly, I wasn't trying to lie to you. Just dinner, and my one ulterior motive…"

"I didn't think you were lying for a minute," Gohan assured her. "Speaking of your ulterior motive, just who is this guy your trying to use me to make jealous?"

"Um… Well, about that…" Kamari blushed and lowered her head. "Please don't overreact when I tell you this but… It's Scott…"

"Scott!" Gohan yelped, barely avoiding stabbing himself with his fork. It slid out of his hands, and rattled against his plate after it hit. "But, but… Isn't Scott your brother?! I don't like to judge Kamari, but isn't that… Well, kind of unnatural?"

"Hold on a second, let me explain! I know it sounds weird, but you see… Scott's not really my brother. Our parents were good friends, so we grew up together. We were always really close, so ever since we were about ten Scott started calling me sis and referring to me as his sister because that's the way he always looked at me. For the longest time I looked at him like a brother as well, but now…"

Gohan quickly analyzed the situation for her. "But now you don't look at him like a brother, you've been seeing him as something much more huh?"

Kamari nodded her head slowly, still blushing slightly. "I know it's ridiculous to think like that, I know he still looks at me like his sister… But after we met you my hopes arose though… You see, after you helped us out with that Rico terd, for a while you were all I'd talk about and I started to flirt with you a lot. I started to notice he'd get a little agitated and upset when I did, so I couldn't help but wonder if maybe he was getting a little jealous…"

"Well, I don't mean to get your hopes up, but judging from what you've already told me, I'd say that's a very likely possibility. My only concern is, wouldn't you think a stunt like this might hurt your cause more then it helps it?"

"Well, I considered that, but the way I see it is that if he cares about me at all, he'll show up here sooner or later and try to say something about it… If he doesn't well… I'm a big girl, I can take it."

"You sure have a strange view on the way romance is supposed to work Kamari," Gohan smiled. "Oh well, whatever works for you."

"Ouch! Take it easy Videl, or your going to rip my arm off!"

"Stop whining, and move your butt Sharpner!" Videl barked, dragging Sharpner down the street by the hand. "I don't have all night! By the time we get there, they'll already be done eating and gone!"

"Umm… Shouldn't we have dressed up or something?" Sharpner asked dumbly, struggling with both his balance and keeping up with Videl. It didn't help matters much for every time she would yank on his arm, to make sure she didn't lose him. Sharpner in the meantime, was expecting to crash to his face into the sidewalk at any moment.

"Don't be stupid Sharpner! There's no need to overdo it! Remember, I'm only bringing you along to act as a prop while I perform a little surveillance, and that's all!"

"Now, just wait one second!" Sharpner yelled, as he finally managed to pry his hand from Videl's grip. It was like a vice-grip really, none of the guys he worked out or arm wrestled with at the gym could hold a candle to her. "Why should I waste an evening of my hectic social life helping you spy on your dork friend Gohan?! What's in it for me?!"

Videl growled with frustration. "For the tenth time Sharpner! If you help me out, I'll let you tell the entire school you went out on one date with me if you want too!"

"And you won't deny it either?" Sharpner grinned.

"No, I won't deny it…" Videl moaned in disgust at the thought of all the gossip that would be floating around school come tomorrow… However, it was a necessary evil she was willing to deal with. She didn't know why the hell she thought it was worth it, but she'd have plenty of time to figure that out later. Right now she was pissed and determined, and that was all she needed to know.

"Works for me, I'm in," Sharpner sung with satisfaction.

Videl didn't like the grin the boy was giving her. She could almost tell what he was thinking just by looking at him. Videl scowled like only she could, and got right up in Sharpner's face. His eyes widened, as he pulled his head back just a bit. "I said you can tell everyone you went out on one date with me, but don't you even dare think about telling anybody you got lucky with me! If you do, I'll make certain you can never have children, you got me?!"

"Of course Videl… He, he… Wouldn't dream of it…"

"Good, now let's go!" Videl grabbed Sharpner by the hand, and proceeded to drag the mumbling boy behind her. Not too much longer afterwards, Videl finally came to a stop in front of the small restaurant Gohan had mentioned they'd be going to that evening. "This is the place, now come on!"

"So tell me, why did you insist on me picking an all you can eat place Gohan?" Kamari asked curiously.

"You'll see once I start eating Kamari!" Gohan laughed. "This way I can eat my fill, and it will only cost you a few Zeni. You'd never be able to afford to feed me any other way."

"Come on! You can't eat that much!"

"You'd be surprised. My entire family is like that! You should see my brother and…" Gohan stopped in mid-sentence as he watched Videl and Sharpner enter the quaint little eating establishment. Little did he know it, but he stared at them for a good while as the hostess led them to a corner table and as they sat down.

Curious as to what in the world Gohan had suddenly found so interesting, Kamari turned her head to see what he was looking at rather then ask him out right. Her eyes grew wide much like Gohan's did when she saw the two other teens together. "Sharpner and Videl?! Together?! Ewe, that's weird… I didn't even think Videl liked Sharpner all that much."

"Nether did I…" Why the hell are they together anyway?!

Eventually, whether she already knew where Gohan was sitting or not, Videl paid some notice to the Demi-Sayian. She waved at him, wearing one of the strangest smiles on her face that Gohan had ever seen. Whatever that smile meant, it caused Gohan to blush and sink lower into his seat at the booth.

Videl smirked in satisfaction at the look Gohan gave her, but that quickly gave way to a frown when she thought over just what she was doing. What am I doing?! I'm acting like a child… Why am I even here?! What do I care what Gohan does with his free time, even if it is with that… Videl looked over at Kamari, and growled coming up with just the right word to describe her. That little tramp!

"Umm… What exactly do you want me to do Videl?" Sharpner asked nervously, a bit edgy as to who that look on Videl's face was directed towards. 

"Don't do anything! Just do what you normally do, and sit there and look like an idiot! Don't talk or do anything, unless I tell you to!"

"I still don't see what's so special about him anyway," a young man grumbled as he peered into the window of the small restaurant, his eyes fixated on the young girl and her apparent *date* in the booth right beside the window. It took him a while to find a place to hide, but the bush in front of the building served as some nice cover. He needed to stand somewhere where he could peer inside, and at the same time not get caught looking in by the people eating their meals inside. He didn't want anyone to think he was some kind of weirdo or anything. "What does he have that I don't got anyway? Ah, who are you kidding Scott?! He's better looking then you, more popular then you, has better manners then you, and you sure held your head up high like a hero when Rico was threatening Kamari. Sigh… No wonder she flaunts all over him like that…"

"You know we all talk to ourselves occasionally Scotty, but when you start answering yourself you just might have to consider you have a small problem."

Scott jumped nearly ten feet in the air when the young man crept up from behind him. Bewildered, he turned around, and sighed with relief to discover it was merely the same person who had pushed him into coming here that day. "Kami Ryo, you scared the hell out of me!"

"Sorry, I didn't mean to," Ryo giggled, as he walked up next to the boy who looked very much like a younger version of him. Brown hair parted almost the exact same way, and matching brown eyes. Scott could've easily passed for Ryo's younger brother, but the fact was that they'd only known each other a little over three months. "I just wanted to make sure you didn't chicken out, but you being here's a good sign. So, are you going to stand out here and window shop all night, or are you going to go inside and talk to her?"

"I don't know…" Scott sighed, and looked down at the woodchips and red rocks scattered at his feet. "She looks like she's enjoying herself, and I wouldn't want to bother her… I'd only embarrass myself anyway."

"Are you sure Scotty? Remember what we talked about, you'll never know if you don't try."

"She'd never be interested in me anyway," Scott continued his verbal bashing of himself, finding that his backbone was shrinking with each passing second. "She only thinks of me as a brother, hell I've called her my sister since as long as I can remember. It would make things too awkward… Well, if she has to be interested in somebody else I'm glad it's Gohan. At least I can live with that. I really tried to hate him, but he makes it too hard."

"I wouldn't get too ahead of yourself Scotty. How do you know Kamari's not here with Gohan tonight for the soul purpose of making you jealous?"  


Scott frowned. "I'd love to think that Ryo, but what makes you say that?"

"Well, for one Gohan's kind of got a thing for somebody else, and he's not the type of guy to lead somebody on like that. Plus, judging from some of the things you've told me about Kamari lately, it sounds a lot to me like that's exactly what she's trying to do."

"Maybe…" Scott stared off into space as if he was considering this possibility. "How could I be sure though?"

"How do you think? There's only one way you're ever going to know for sure. For right now, let's survey the scene for a bit until you can finally make up your mind."

"Wait a second… Is that Scott?!" Kamari gaped, as she saw two brown heads quickly duck out of view when she looked out the window. "But who was that with him?"

"I think it was Scott," Gohan concurred. He ignored the question about the other guy. He knew who it was despite not being able to see him. I knew I felt Ryo nearby… Wonderful, I'm surrounded.

"I can't believe he's spying on me!" Kamari frowned, before her expression brightened. "How sweet! At least I know he's here, but what now? It won't do me much good if he's just going to stand outside."

"I have an idea." Gohan took a hold of Kamari's hand, causing her to blush slightly. "Let's try our best to motivate him to come inside."

Scott's eyes widened to the sight of Kmari's hands in Gohan's. "What are they doing?!"

"I dunno," Ryo stuttered, a bit shocked himself. His face lit up a bit more as Gohan's face leaned in closer to Kamari's, apparently whispering something into her ear that made the girl giggle. "This isn't good."

In the meantime, Scott was literally seeing red. "Who the hell does he think he is?! It's only their first date, and he's already putting moves on her like that! I thought he was different from those…"

All of a sudden a light bulb flashed in Ryo's head, as he realized what Gohan was doing. He smiled at Gohan's inquisitiveness, and decided to play along. "Don't look now, but I think I just saw him stick his tongue in her ear."

"What?!" Scott yelped, as he fell onto his back. 

"What is he doing?!" Videl growled, a deep shade of red burning into her face as well.

"It looks like he's enjoying himself to me," Sharpner observed, smirking slightly. "What's the matter? You jealous or something?"

"I AM NOT JEALOUS!" Videl shouted into Sharpner's face, nearly knocking the boy out of his chair.

"Okay, okay, I was only joking!" Sharpner's eyes widened in confusion, as Videl took his hand. "What are you doing?"

"Just play along!" Videl growled. "If Gohan wants to flaunt in my face, then I'm going to give him a taste of his own medicine!"

"You are?" Though surprised, Sharpner managed a smile. "Cool."

"Gohan are you okay?" Kamari asked, noticing his attention had drifted back to the table where Videl and Sharpner were sitting, and to say he didn't look happy would've been a severe understatement. She looked behind her once again, and noticed the apparent couple were now holding hands and coddling in a way similar, if fact almost identical to the way Kamari and Gohan had been doing. The only noticeable difference was that Videl and Sharpner weren't doing a near as convincing job as they were. While Sharpner appeared to be legitimately enjoying himself, Videl was apparently a horrible actress. She scowled every time she looked behind her, and when she did smile it couldn't have looked any more fake. A smile found Kamari's lips as she realized what was going, even though Gohan was still apparently oblivious to it. She turned back to Gohan, and practically had to yank his face into the table to gain his attention. "Videl huh? I see, so the rumors were true huh?"

"What, huh?" Gohan stuttered nervously. "What kind of rumors are you talking about?"

"Don't play dumb with me." Kamari giggled at the blush attacking Gohan's face. "Videl's obviously trying to do the exact same thing to you, as we're trying to do to Scott. You haven't taken your eyes off of them since they walked into the place. Are you just a little bit jealous here Gohan?"

"I'm not jealous! I was just…" Gohan defended, before stopping to think over what he was saying. Was he jealous? He didn't like seeing Videl getting so chummy with Sharpner, that was for sure, but was it because of some little ping of jealously? He'd never been jealous over anything or anyone before, so maybe this was some sort of reaction to some new emotion he was experiencing, but if that was true then why was he feeling it? "I mean I wouldn't say I'm jealous per say… Well, maybe a little, but the main thing is I'm not use to seeing Videl act this way… It's a little unnerving to say the least."

"Well… Do you usually act this way?"

"Well, not but…" 

  
"Then what are you going to do about it?"

An evil smile crossed Gohan's lips, and he pulled Kamari closer to him. "Hey, if she wants to play games, then I'm up for it."

Kamari smiled. "So you're going to use me now, instead of vice versa?"

"Hey, we're not using each other. Just putting on a good show." Gohan looked over at Videl and sighed. Her and Sharpner were smiling at each other discussing something. "They sure look happy though. They're probably flirting with each other as we speak."

Videl stared into Sharpner's face wearing her best smile. "Don't get carried away with those hands Sharpner, unless you want me to strangle you with them!"

"Hey, you wanted this to be convincing didn't you?" Sharpner asked through clenched teeth. His smile was more nervous then anything. "Besides, I have the right to have a little fun with this don't I?"

"I wouldn't have too much fun if I were you, if your fond of solid foods that is. Just do whatever I tell you, and nothing else you got me?"

"I get the picture." Sharpner smiled, as he took a peek over at Gohan. "You better think up something quick though, because Gohan appears to be getting a little frisky over there."

Videl shot her head around quickly, and almost jumped out of her seat. Gohan and Kamari were leaning across the table, their foreheads touching, and partially rubbing noses. Videl wasn't sure if she should scream or puke. "Disgusting! In public! I can't believe him!"  


"Then what are we waiting for? Let's get down to business," Sharpner chuckled in anticipation, a little too anxious for his own good.

"Keep your hands to yourself!" Videl barked, knocking Sharpner's arms away as he reached for her. Videl sat up, and threw her arms around Sharpner's neck and pushed her face up just inches away from his causing the boy to squirm.

Sharpner's body became very tense, and it only got worse once Videl's eyes locked into his, her angry look and all. "Umm… Videl…"

"Just shut up, and sit still! And remind me to buy you some tic-tac's after dinner. What the hell did you eat for lunch anyway?"

"What?! No way…" Gohan stammered. "I didn't even think Videl could stand Sharpner, and now this…"

"Um-Gohan…" Kamari said, beginning to worry about Gohan. "Haven't you noticed that except for that bowl of soup Videl brought over, neither one of them has even had one bite to eat?"

"Well yeah, but they're probably still waiting for the waiter to bring their food."

"Gohan, it's an all you can eat buffet! That's why you had me pick this place remember?!"

"Oh yeah…" Gohan quickly thought up another possible theory. "Well, maybe they're just not hungry right now, or they're waiting for their stomach's to settle or something."

"Oh boy." Kamari sweat dropped. You are a dork Gohan… But a sweet one.

"What are they doing?!" Scott exclaimed, as Gohan and Kamari's faces inched even closer.

"This is getting good," Ryo hummed, trying his best to goad the younger boy. "It looks like a good game of tonsil hockey might break out any minute now."

If Ryo didn't know any better, he could've swore he heard that wall keeping Scott outside of the restaurant crumble into dust. "That's it! I can't take this anymore, I'm going in there!"

"You go boy! They could use a good referee!" Ryo giggled at the snort Scott gave him, as he headed for the door. 

Videl growled as she watched Gohan and Kamari nuzzle again, practically strangling Sharpner in the process. "Damn that little… Yeah, you claim this wasn't a date huh Gohan?!"

"Videl loosen up, I can't breathe…"

  
"Stop your whining!" Videl loosened her grip, allowing some air to flow back into Sharpner's lungs. "This isn't working, we have to think of something quick. Something over the top, that will stop Gohan dead in his tracks."

"I've got just the thing," Sharpner smiled, suddenly gaining his nerve and confidence back. Videl looked back at him wearing her usual scowl to ask what it was, when Sharpner quickly gave her his answer. He nudged his head forward a bit, and kissed her full on the lips. 

Sharpner pulled away wearing a Cheshire Cat type grin, and that only widened when he saw the look on Videl's face as she simply stared back at him shocked and blushing. The look on Gohan's face was priceless as well, practically frozen where he sat, and separated from Kamari for the first time in nearly ten minutes.

"Whoa, that was unexpected," Kamari commented to a Gohan who wasn't paying an ounce of attention to her. He was too busy cycling through his thoughts and emotions after watching Sharpner kiss Videl, which were pretty much all on the same train of thought. If he would've taken a second to analyze them, he would've realized that those thoughts would've answered his own questions regarding whether he was really jealous or not.

That no good, rotten, lousy, son of a pile of @X*&! #&%@*!! %^%^*!*!

Sharpner's grin hadn't faded one bit as he waited for Videl's response. The one she would give him wasn't what he had expected at all. She kissed him back… Um… With her fist. Sharpner clunked to the ground like a stone , grabbing his jaw as he rolled around on the floor in agony. "Oh, my face! My perfect face! What did you did do that for Videl?!"

Videl grabbed Sharpner by one of the bands on his tank top, and yanked his back up off the floor so he was in a sitting position. It surprised the hell out of Sharpner. He knew she was a tough girl, but he had no idea she was that strong. "You listen here! If you ever put your lips anywhere on my body again except for maybe my ass, then you'll be making a with drawl from the local blood bank, you got me?!"

"I got you, I got you, but, but… You wanted to put on a convincing show didn't you?…"

"Stop making excuses!" Videl howled. She swung her arm in the air, inadvertently knocking her bowl of scolding hot soup into Sharpner's lap. 

"AHHHH!" Sharpner immediately forgot about the pain in his face, as it was severely overshadowed by the burning sensation now roasting the crotch of his pants. He shot up to his feet and did a Mexican hat dance around his chair as the burning hot liquid began to seep through his pants, and worked its way towards his… Well…"

"Serves you right," Videl huffed, as Sharpner fled from the restaurant screaming his thick head off.

Kamari blinked her eyes a couple times. "Dang, talk about mood swings."

Gohan smiled happily. "Now that's the Videl I know, and… like" Gohan wisely chose to stop before he said love.

Sharpner stormed out of the restaurant just as another young man was rushing inside just as quickly. Sharpner bowled over the much smaller boy, and temporally forgot about the burning sensation invading his most sensitive areas as it eased up slightly. "Hey, watch it you little twerp! It doesn't seem to matter whether we're at school or in town, but you always seem to be in the way don't you?!"

"But you're the one who?!" Scott stopped there, and shook his head. He didn't want to give this muscle bound ofe any more attention then he deserved. "I don't have time for this, I'm in a hurry!"

"Geek!" Sharpner snapped, as the boy ran into the restaurant. Sharpner bounced a bit when a familiar sensation made itself known again, creeping a little to close to home for comfort.

"That was rather rude of you Sharpner," Ryo frowned at the larger teen. 

"Don't preach to me about being rude!" Sharpner practically whined. "Can't you see I'm in pain here?!"

"What the hell happened to you?"

"Mind your own business dork!"

Ryo growled, and looked up towards the sky. "Look out Sharpner, there's a plane flying overhead!"

Sharpner looked up, and saw the very plane Ryo had mentioned. "Yeah, so what?!"

"Well, you might want to get back inside before it mistakes your forehead for a runway, or an aircraft carrier!"

Sharpner made a move to lunge at who he assumed to be a weaker individual when he felt another tug at his pants. "Look, I don't have time for this!" Sharpner chocked out through the pain, and practically bounced away on one leg. "Oh, it burns, it burns, it burns!"

Ryo cocked an eyebrow. "And he calls me a dork."

"Who calls you a dork?"

Ryo jumped a little, only to find Erasa's smiling face behind him. "Oh, just about everybody Erasa. What are you doing here anyway?"

Erasa opened her mouth as if to say something, but stopped for whatever reason. "Oh, I'm sorry, I can't say. I promised I wouldn't…"

"Oh, I get it," Ryo smiled. "You're here to spy on Videl and Gohan too huh?"

"Oh, you already know? It that case, yeah! You don't mind if I join you do you?"

Ryo appeared to think her request over. "Umm… That depends, blond isn't contagious is it?"

Erasa got her usual far off look on her face. "I don't think so…"

Ryo sweat dropped. "Umm… It was only a joke Erasa, no need to take that seriously. Sure you can join me. You missed some of the fireworks, but the best part has yet to come."

"Man, she looks mad," Kamari said referring to Videl. At first she had sat back down in her seat and just sat there for a brief while looking pissed off to high hell, before excusing herself to the bathroom."

"Yeah," Gohan agreed. "Judging from the way they were acting I would've figured that's what she was wanting to get out of him. Guess I was wrong."

"Kamari, Kamari!" A huffing and puffing Scott came roaring in, scooting to a stop in front of their table. 

"Scott?" Kamari said, her eyes brightening a bit. 

"Hey Scott, what's up?" Gohan asked cheerfully.

"Umm… Oh… Ah…" Scott lowered his head, finding his recent surge of courage had disappeared in a heartbeat. "Hi guys… I'm sorry to bother you two but…"

"But what Scott? Why are you here?"

"Well I…" Scott lowered his head in defeat. "Umm… Never mind. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have bothered you…"

"Wait a minute Scott, get back here!" Kamari barked, in almost Videl-like fashion before Scott could escape. Matching frown too. "You interrupted us just for that!"

"Whoa, whoa, calm down now Kamari, no need to get upset." Gohan looked towards Scott and smiled, more because he already knew the answer to his own question then anything. "You obviously came here for a reason, so why don't you tell her?"

"Um well…"

"Spit it out Scott!"

"Okay, okay!" Scott blushed, and took a deep, very deep breath. "Can we step outside and talk for a minute?…"

"Sure," Kamari replied softly, suddenly finding herself nervous as well.

Scott looked over at Gohan nervously. "Um… You don't mind do you?"

"Not at all. You two kids go ahead."

Gohan smiled as he watched the two kids leave the restaurant together. "Well, it looks like my work here is done. Well, since dinner is already paid for I might as well eat up! I'm starving!"

Gohan made a beeline towards the buffet table, when he nearly crashed into Videl. "Hey watch it!"

"Oh, I'm sorry Videl. I didn't see you there."

"Whatever. So, where's your little girlfriend?" Videl scowled, noticing she was no longer at their table.

"Well first of all she's not my girlfriend," Gohan smiled. "Second, she's outside talking to the guy she really likes."

"Guy she likes?" Videl's brow furrowed with confusion. "What are you talking about?! If she likes anyone it's you, I saw the way you two were hanging all over each other!"

Gohan looked legitimately confused for a moment, before breaking out into laughter. "Oh that! You got it all wrong Videl! You see, the only reason Kamari asked me out tonight was to help make another guy she likes jealous. I thought it was cute, so I decided to help her out. He was spying on us from outside the window, so we decided to put on a good show to try and draw him inside. It worked like a charm, and now they're both outside talking it over."

Videl blushed slightly. "Uh… Really?"

"Yes, I told you this wasn't a date Videl! I promised her I wouldn't tell anybody, that's all…" An evil grin crossed Gohan's lips. "Now, what in the world were you doing with Sharpner? Before you put his lights out that is?"

Videl ignored his question as she was too busy berating herself to listen. Oh Kami! What did I do?! I hung all over that jackass for nothing! And he kissed me, yuck!… I'll go through ten tubes of toothpaste before I get that nasty taste out of my mouth! Stupid, stupid, stupid!"

"Videl are you okay?"

"I think I need to sit down…"

"You did what?!" Scott exclaimed, wearing a slight smile as Kamari confessed her and Gohan's little drama to him. 

"Well, I couldn't get you to open up to me in any other way could I?" Kamari pointed out. "It worked didn't it?"

"I can't believe you… And Gohan was in on it too huh? Well, I'll tell you that you two were very convincing. It didn't help matters much that Ryo kept whispering in my ear either. You know you could have just come out and told me how you felt, instead of putting me through all that torture."

"Well, you deserved it for all the torment you put me through," Kamari retorted. "Besides, the guy's supposed to approach the girl you know."

"Since when were you that old fashioned?"

Kamari turned her back to him playfully. "Well, if you knew me as well as you thought you did then you would've already known that now wouldn't you?"

Scott took her comment a little too seriously. "I'm sorry Kamari… I like to think I know you well… I'm sorry I never came to you before either but… I thought you just thought of me as a brother, and I was afraid you'd laugh at me if I said anything."

"You are such a nerd Scott," Kamari teased. She turned around quickly, and gave Scott a peck on the cheek leaving a trail of blush that spread throughout his face. "Now, would you mind walking me home? It's getting late."

"But I always walk you home," Scott reminded her with a smile. 

"But it's a little different this time." Kamari took Scott by the hand, causing his blush to deepen. "We'll talk more about it once you get me home."

"Okay…"

"Oh, that's so cute!" Erasa cooed at the display from the two younger teens.

"Yeah, I'm good aren't I?" Ryo stated proudly.

"Wait a second, what did you do?"

  
"Well, as a matter of fact…" Ryo stopped, and scratched his head. "Hold on, what the hell did I do?"

----------

Videl stumbled out of the restaurant with wide eyes. She'd never seen anybody eat so much in her entire life. No literally, she didn't think she'd consumed as much food in her entire life as she had just watched Gohan devour in one sitting. Of course she knew that wasn't true, but it was the only way she could describe what she'd just witnessed.

"All you can eat my butt! Do you think I have a legitimate lawsuit for false advertising here? How often do they kick people out for eating too much anyway?"

"They didn't exactly kick you out Gohan," Videl laughed. "They asked you rather politely to leave, and save some food for the other paying customers."

"Well, I was under duress!" Gohan whined.

"And how were you under duress Gohan?"

"Because I'm a nice guy."

"Well, that's your problem isn't it?!" Videl chuckled. "I'm glad I'm not the one who has to feed you."

"Well… What do you want to do now?" Gohan asked, as his hands rested behind his head.

"I don't know, it's still a little early to go home yet… Why don't we take a walk or something?"

"Sounds good to me."

Videl and Gohan didn't exchange many words as they wandered around Satan City. Videl was still embarrassed over her little incident with Sharpner, disappointed in herself with the way she acted. She was also forced to consider the reasons behind why she acted that way, reasons making her uncharacteristically uncomfortable around someone she would've in all honesty considered her best friend if she had known him a little longer. Gohan meanwhile, was thinking along the same lines, wondering just what in the heck Videl was doing with Sharpner that evening. Despite how naïve he could be at times and how much he was afraid to admit it, even he could see that it most likely had something to do with him.

Somehow they found themselves in the park again, and wisely chose to stay away from the bench that Gohan was convinced was possessed. Instead, they hid in the seclusion of Videl's secret spot, well really there's now, looking up at the sky without saying much. Videl had developed a soft spot for this place with Gohan in it recently. It's the place where they truly became friends, and that day was when this entire mess started. Videl hated him for it too. For giving her that fuzzy feeling in her chest whenever he'd look at her in a certain way. For making her jealous, and causing her to make an ass of herself in front of a room full of people because of it. For haunting, or more like sweetening her dreams on what was becoming a nightly basis. Mostly, just for being unlike any other person she'd ever meet. She really hated him for it. Hated him up until every time she'd look into that cute innocent face of his, forget everything and ask herself how in the world she could ever possibly hate him. In reality she knew she couldn't, and only hate the things that he does to her. The things that felt good, but she wasn't ready to accept. 

"So Videl… Do you want to tell me what was up with you and Sharpner now? You've been ducking the question all night."

Videl was caught off guard. The first sentence he'd uttered in almost an hour other then the occasional *uh-huh* or *sure thing*, and it had to be that. Videl sighed, and decided to hell with it. She'd never been afraid of anything before, so why start now? "You really want to know huh? All right… I'll admit it, I was a bit jealous for some reason. I guess I just didn't like seeing one of my friends hanging all over somebody else like that."

"I see," Gohan said, somewhat disappointedly. He had really hoped there was a deeper meaning behind her actions, but he guessed that was just wishful thinking. "So, you and Sharpner were doing pretty much the same thing Kamari and I were doing eh?"

"That's right…" Videl cringed at the thought of her and Sharpner and… "Ugh, I'm going to regret that decision the rest of my life! I can't believe that creep kissed me! I had hoped my first kiss would be memorable, but not like that! I was hoping I'd enjoy it, or at least have it be with somebody I actually liked!"

"I know what you mean. I can't believe you decked him like that though! You're probably regretting that decision by now though huh?"

"Yeah, you're right, I am. I wasted a perfectly good bowl of soup."

A bit of a delayed reaction later, Gohan and Videl looked at each other and laughed. "Well, at least the night wasn't a total bust. Kamari got what she wanted, and I'm happy for them. They'll look kind of cute together, once I can get the idea of them not actually being brother and sister set in my head. It still seems kind of weird."

"Yeah… So it really wasn't a date huh?"

"Nope. To tell you the truth, I'm not ready to start dating yet. I don't think anyone would like me that way anyway. Let's face it, I'm a dork, I'm boring, and I'd just make an ass out of myself anyway."

"Hey, don't talk about my friend like that!" Videl poked him in the chest playfully. "I don't care if it is you!"

"I'm sorry, but it's true," Gohan insisted.

"No, it isn't!" Videl fell silent for a moment. She knew what she wanted to say, but she needed to think it over. Her next few words could hold serious repercussions if she didn't. Then again, she'd never been a coward. Why fight it any longer, she knew what she wanted. She'd always been the type to push for, and get what she wanted anyway. Maybe if she put enough heart into her words, she could make these otherwise useless feelings into something worthwhile. "You never know Gohan. They say there's somebody out there for everybody. I'm sure there's someone out there for you too… For all you know she could be sitting right next to you…"

Gohan smiled a bit, and looked around as if he was looking for her. "Nah, I don't think so Videl. If somebody felt that way about me, I'd think I know."

Videl's head shook a bit, and she had to bite her bottom lip to keep from screaming out loud. She controlled herself fairly well, despite the shade of red her face was turning, but his next line would completely push her over the edge. "Besides, someone would have to be pretty desperate to be interested in me!"

"ARRGH!" Videl growled, scaring Gohan right down on his back. "You are such a ditz! What's your problem, you can't take a hint?! You are so clueless!"

"Videl, where are you going?!" Gohan asked as she stormed away from him. His sensitive Sayian hearing picked up on what she was mumbling, though he didn't understand what it was all about."

"Why do I even bother?! That's it, I quit! Stupid Gohan…"

"That's it…" Gohan said to himself, as he watched Videl storm away. "I'm just going to shut up from now on. If I keep my mouth shut, then I can't get myself into more trouble then I need. I'm not saying anything else, because it's always the wrong thing! I just going to keep it shut."

Videl hadn't made it all that far, when her anger suddenly deteriorated into more of a depressed lonely feeling. She stopped walking and sighed, throwing her back against the support of large tree and slumping down to her rear end.

"Face it Videl, Gohan's probably brushing you off because he's not interested in you that way… There's no way he can be that clueless, he's one of the smartest people I've ever met for Kami's sake! I know he's a bit naïve, but he can't be that dense… I'll just have to take it like a Satan, and accept reality for what it is…"

"You know, I think you might be the one that's sounding a bit naïve Videl."

Videl frowned a bit at the sound of the voice, and didn't even bother to look up as the boy appeared next to her. "You know, you're making a bad habit out of showing up out of nowhere like that Ryo."

"What can I say, it's a talent," Ryo sighed, and sat down next to her. 

"How did you find me anyway?" Videl asked, hating the thought of yet another person stumbling onto her secret spot. 

"Would you believe I followed you here by sensing your life energy?"

"I've heard that excuse before Ryo," Videl smirked slightly. "Can't you come up with something more original, like the truth maybe?"

"Okay, okay," Ryo laughed. "I was spying on you guys, and I tailed you here from the restaurant. I was hoping to see a good show, but judging from what I've seen so far I think I'm going to have to demand my money back."

"I already figured you were following us," Videl sighed. "I don't know what you were expecting to see though. We're just friends Ryo, there's nothing going on. That's that, so just drop it okay?"

"So, there's really nothing going on hey?"

"Nope, nothing. Just friends, that's it, and all we'll probably ever be."

A sly smile crossed Ryo's lips. "I guess we've all been wrong then… Hmm… So, that mean's you're still available then doesn't it?"

Videl frowned. "What do you mean by that?"

"I mean you're still single, considering you're not seeing anybody or anything."

"No, I'm not. What does that have to do with anything though?"

"It means I won't feel as guilty if I asked you out to a movie on Friday night," Ryo said, surprisingly calm for someone with his normally bashful demeanor. 

"What?!" Videl blushed, a bit stunned by the offer. "You mean like a date? Are you serious?"

"Yeah, I'm serious. Since you *claim* you don't like Gohan and vice-versa, I figured it wouldn't kill me to ask." 

"Well I… I don't know Ryo. I'll have to think about it okay?"

"No problem, take all the time you need," Ryo said, not seeming the least bit offended or worried. "I know where to find you. I'll see you tomorrow Videl."

"Umm… Yeah bye…" Videl was practically speechless until Ryo was safely out of sight. "Did that really just happen?!"

End.

-Note: My apologizes to all the blondes that may have been offended by Ryo's little comment towards the end there. I meant nothing by it, so please don't send me any hate mail because of it. I am a blond myself, and I am by no means stupid, so I have a right to poke fun. Speaking of Ryo, can you guess what the next chapters going to be about already? What the hell is he up to anyway? Until next time, Thanks for reading! 


	9. Chapter 9

-You know I was kind of surprised, I thought what I had planned for this chapter was going to be all too predictable. Judging from what feedback I received, only one person even remotely touched on what was actually in the works. Oh well, maybe I think that because I wrote it and already know everything that's going to happen… Ah, who cares, read on and enjoy!

Chapter Nine

"I just don't get it," Videl said aloud to herself, as she tapped her fingers across her desk. Why would Ryo ask me out right out of the blue like that? I had no idea he was even interested in me! Not to mention that he claimed to already have a girlfriend, no check that, a friend he has a thing for that he's not quite over yet. Plus, he's been teasing Gohan and I about being more then friends since just about the day we met! Why come on to me all of the sudden? Kami, this is all so confusing… Ryo's a nice guy and we get along well, but I'm just not interested in him like that… Or anyone else for that matter except for maybe… No, I got to stop thinking like that! Bad Videl, get that boy out of your head! Maybe I'll go on this little date with him just for fun, and let him down gently. Ryo will understand that. Then I'll have to find another way to deal with this thing with Gohan…

Speak of the Devil. Just as Videl's thoughts switched to him, Gohan took his usual seat next to her in class. She'd been feeling so guilty about how much she'd been wanting to see what Gohan's reaction would be when she told him about Ryo. It kept her up half the night just thinking about it. A part of her wanted Gohan to take the look of someone ready to jump up and rip Ryo limb from limb, but stay composed and keep his head in the end. Mostly, she just wanted him to at least seem upset when she told him. Maybe even… Nah, no use in hoping for something that wouldn't happen.

"Good Morning Videl," Gohan greeted her cautiously. 

"Morning Gohan," Videl replied back to him, slightly nervous in her own right.

Gohan seemed a bit surprised. "You mean you're not still mad at me? About last night?"

Videl frowned playfully. "Oh that's right! I am supposed to be mad at you, thanks for reminding me."

Gohan picked up on the halfhearted frown Videl gave him whenever she was teasing him. Gohan sighed like a twelve ton stone was just lifted off his chest. Then again, this is a Sayian we're talking about here so we might want to make that thirty tons. "You're welcome. I'd still like to know what you were mad at me for. You said I couldn't take a hint? What were you hinting at anyway? That you wanted to go home?"

Videl wanted to slam her head into the desk, or better yet pick it up and break it over Gohan's head. Instead, she sighed in submission and shook her head. "Never mind, forget I ever said anything Gohan…"

"Okay… So, what's up? Anything interesting happen to you since last night?"

"Funny you should ask that," Videl laughed nervously. "As a matter of fact something did… You'll never guess what Ryo asked me last night…"

"That's a bet you're sure to win!" Gohan laughed. "If Ryo said it, then it's bound to be just about anything."

"You have no idea… You see well… He kind of asked me out to a movie tonight…"

Gohan paused, staring at her oddly as if it was taking a while for that information to process in that normally sharp head of his. He managed to keep his facial expression composed, but failed miserably when it came to keeping his voice steady. "Oh really now?… What, what did you tell him?"

"I told him I'd have to think about it. Truthfully, I'm leaning towards saying yes. It could be fun, and I really can't find any reason why I shouldn't." Videl stared Gohan straight in the eyes. "Is there Gohan?"

You're damn right there is! Like, like… Umm… Truthfully, Gohan could've come up with a million different reasons why she shouldn't, but they all centered around him admitting to Videl about these new emotions he'd been feeling towards her recently. Emotions he was still learning to understand, so instead of what he wanted to say his lips spoke what he expected she was expecting to hear. "I guess not… If you want to go then you should…"

"Fine, then I will!" Videl snorted.

"Good for you!" Gohan barked back, as the normally reserved Half-Sayian found himself growing defensive. 

They remained silent for sometime after that, not even bothering to look each other's way 'cept for when they thought the other wasn't looking. Eventually, the remainder of the class began to pour in seconds before the bell rang, including Ryo who took his usual seat behind Gohan. Videl practically lunged at Ryo, not exactly looking excited or thrilled as she spoke to him.

"About your proposal from last night Ryo, I accept! We'll talk about the details at lunch all right?"

"Umm right…" Ryo said, obviously taken by surprise. "You mean you want to… I mean…"

Videl frowned in annoyance. "That's what I just said wasn't it?!"

"Yes, of course… I guess I just wasn't expecting you to say yes…"

Videl didn't say anything else. She just sort of grimaced like she usually did when she was mad or irritated, and sat back down in her seat. It took a moment or two for Ryo's head to compute just what had happened. He watched Videl and Gohan's actions at that moment and through much of the period, and smiled at how standoffish they appeared towards each other at times. He really wasn't expecting Videl to say yes, but that was okay. There were ways to work around that. This might just be working out better then I thought.

********

I can't believe this! Videl and Ryo? I didn't see this coming at all… Well, I guess it's nothing to be upset over… Why did I get upset when she told me anyway? I should probably just be happy for them or something. It could be a lot worse after all… She could have actually been dating Sharpner… Ewe, that's a disgusting thought! I guess I'm just going to have to get use to this…

"Hey Gohan, wait up!" he heard a voice call to him from down the hallway a ways. He grumbled when he saw Ryo approaching from behind him, weaving his way through the maze of students. Ryo was the last person Gohan wanted to talk to at the moment for obvious reasons. Gohan tried his best not to frown when Ryo bounded up next to him. "I'm glad I caught up with you. I've been meaning to talk with you all morning."

"Oh, I'm sure," Gohan grumbled.

"I can probably guess Videl's already told you that her and I are well…"

"Going out tonight, yeah I know," Gohan snipped, suddenly not caring if he hid his displeasure with the subject or not. "What's up? Do you want to brag about it or something?"

Ryo struggled not to laugh at the tone in Gohan's voice. "No, why would I? I just wanted to ask you if you were okay with this?"

Gohan looked legitimately confused. "What do you mean by that?"

"I mean just what it sounds like Gohan. I can imagine how weird it might feel to someone when they find out two of their friends start dating or something… Plus, I know you've claimed to the contrary, but I always believed you had a bit of a thing for Videl. I just wanted to make sure you were comfortable with this before I go through with it."

If I'm okay with it?! If you were worried about that then you should've asked me that before you asked her out you back stabbing traitor! I can't do anything about it now! Not that I would've done anything about it before… Or ever had… Damn it! Gohan wanted badly to say something along those lines, but in the end responded in a much more Gohanish manner. "No, I'm fine with it Ryo. You two aren't kids, do whatever makes you happy. Whether I'm happy with it or not shouldn't matter. I'll have to live with it either way. I hope you guys have fun tonight."

"Umm… So you have no problem with it?" Ryo asked, looking somewhat surprised for whatever reason.

"I told you I'm fine, now just drop it!" Gohan snapped, his face drooping into a frown he could no longer suppress.

Ryo's look of confusion changed into a confident smirk. "So I see… Well then, I guess it wouldn't hurt to ask you then…"

"Ask me what?" Gohan sighed.

Ryo blushed, and rubbed the back of his neck. "Umm… Well, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous about tonight… I've never really been on a date before… Except for that amusement park thing, but she had all her friends along so it wasn't really what I'd call a date… I was wondering if you might tag along for ah… Moral support."

"What?!" Gohan almost laughed, as he brow sunk so low over his eye's they almost singed his eyelids. "Are you nuts?! That's your problem, deal with it yourself! If you were afraid of going out with her then you never should've asked her in the first place!"

"I know, but I didn't even think about that until after I asked!" Ryo defended himself. "Plus, I never thought she'd say yes… I can't back of it now… Come on Gohan, do this for a friend. You know I'd do it for you if you asked."

Gohan was going to tell him to go to hell, when a thought crossed his mind. If he did tag along it would give him a prime opportunity to spy on them. He wasn't sure why he was thinking this way all of a sudden, but he could not and would not pass this chance up. Of course he couldn't let Ryo on to what he was thinking. "Fine then. What do you want me to do exactly?"

"Thank you Gohan. All you have to do is hide in the background, and make sure I don't chicken out. I'll even pay to get your ticket into the movie, and whatever else you might want."

"Sure… When do you want me there?"

"About six 'o clock, the show starts as 6:15. I really do appreciate this Gohan. I owe you big for this."

"Whatever Ryo…" You're damn right you owe me for this!

********

Gohan had roughly six hours to kill before Ryo and Videl's little date… The one he had somehow gotten himself drug into. He spent most of the day trying to get his mind to focus on any other subject other then them. He had hoped three more hours of school would help, but found he could hardly concentrate on his studies with his mind in other places… Once he got home there was only really an hour left he had to worry about, but that proved to be one of the longest agonizing hours he'd ever lived in his young life. Finally, he just decided to hell with it all, and showed up at the theater about thirty minutes early, and was surprised to find Ryo there waiting for him. A little eager about tonight wasn't he?

"Don't worry yourself about it Videl, he's a big boy he can take it," Videl told herself, as she marched towards the movie theater. It wasn't all that far from her home, so she decided a brisk walk would help clear her head and settle her thoughts while she rehearsed her lines. "I'll go out with him tonight, and at the end of the evening I'll let him down gently. I consider you a really good friend Ryo, and you're fun to be around, but I'm just not interested in you that way… I hope you understand, but I kind of have feelings for somebody else…" Videl growled at herself. "No, you can't tell him that! Like he won't know who you're talking about! But the only reason he asked me out though was because he thought I wasn't interested in anybody else, so how else am I going to explain this without lying to him? Ack, who am I kidding?! Knowing him, the only reason he probably asked me out was to get me to admit I like Gohan in some way! That sounds just like something he'd do, but I can't take that chance… Awe, damn it…"

"Well, at least he didn't make me dress for this," Videl said, as she straighten out her sweatshirt. Not that she would've regardless, but she wasn't about to look like a slob if she thought this was anything serious. She thought it was rather sweet of Ryo to tell her to come as she was, since that was the way he and everybody else liked her anyway. The compliment made her feel good in a way. He made it sound like tonight would be a little more friendly then anything, and if that were true maybe she wouldn't have as much to worry about as she thought she would.

Videl met Ryo at the movies at promptly six o'clock on the dot. For the most part things started off normal enough, exactly the way Videl had suspected. The only thing that bothered her was this weird smirk Ryo had on his face most of the night. An evil look that suggested he was plotting something in that devious head of his. Videl asked him about it a couple times, and all he'd tell her was you'll see. Videl was bordering along the lines of excited and worried. There were a few things she hadn't expected. She figured Ryo would be acting rather nervous or shy around her like he could tend to do in situations like this, but he remained composed and cheerful. Videl herself was a lot more comfortable then she thought she would be, probably Ryo's positive attitude rubbing off on her. One thing she didn't particularly like was Ryo's choice of movie… Some half-baked comedy that wasn't entertaining or funny in the least. Not that they'd been paying much attention to it anyway. The only other person paying less attention was the grumpy Half-Sayian hiding out in the back of the theater.

"Well, at least they seem to be enjoying themselves," Gohan grumbled. "Why am I even here? Why the hell did Ryo even ask me?! He seems to be handling himself just fine to me! What was I expecting to see anyway? Them having a good time?! Well here it is Gohan, you happy?!"

Ryo leaned over and whispered something into Videl's ear so not to disturb the other four or five people viewing what was a rather unpopular movie for obvious reasons. "Hey Videl, you don't want some popcorn or something do you?"

"I thought you'd never ask, I'm starving."

  
"I thought you might," Ryo smiled. He pulled a ten Zeni bill out of his pocket, (or whatever the DBZ equivalent is) and handed it to Videl. "Go ahead and get whatever you want, and would you mind picking me up a small drink while you're at it?"

Videl looked down at the bill in her hand, and then glanced up at Ryo like he had some sort of incurable skin rash on his face. "Umm… Maybe I'm old fashioned, but isn't the guy supposed to do that for the girl?"

"Well normally, but I don't want to miss this. This is the best part of the movie."

"Okay…" Videl grunted as she stood up from her seat, and headed for the exit. Wait a second, think about this Videl. He's giving you the chance to take a break from this crappy movie, so you might as well take it. Still… He's not exactly Romeo is he? Not that I was expecting much anyway.

A broad grin found Ryo's face as he watched Videl leave the theater. That was until he looked back at the screen. "Man, everyone was right. This movie really does suck."

Ryo's smile returned, when he looked back and found Gohan sulking in the back of the theater. It was rather easy to pick him out considering there was exactly nobody else in Ryo's line of sight. He found it amazing that Videl hadn't noticed him yet. He stood up, and waved his arm to motion his friend to come over to him. 

"What does he want now?" Gohan grumbled, as he stood up. "Just showing up wasn't enough?!"

Gohan walked over to where Ryo was sitting near the center of the theater, and sat down next to him reluctantly. "What is it?" Gohan asked, trying his best not to sound too grumpy. He failed miserably.

"Well you seem cheerful this afternoon. What's the matter, did you miss dinner?"

"Stop kidding around, and just tell me what you want already?!"

"Okay, okay! No need to bite my head off!" Ryo laughed. "All I need you to do is save my seat while I run to the bathroom."

"Save your seat?!" Gohan looked around the theater. "There's nobody here! I doubt anyone is going to take your seat!"

"You're probably right, but I don't want to chance it. I'll be right back, I promise."

"But what do I do if Videl comes back?!" Gohan paused just then taking notice that she was gone. "Hey, where did she go anyway?"

"I don't know, she got up to do something," Ryo answered quickly. "I promise you I'll be back before she is. Just do me this favor, and you can go back to sulking in the back or whatever you were doing."

"Fine, just hurry up!"

"Thanks Gohan, I'll be right back."

Five minutes later there was still no sign of Ryo. Gohan was starting to grow impatient, well more so anyway. "Be right back my ass! What did he do, fall in and drown?!"

Just as he said that, somebody finally weeded their way back over to the seat next him. Assuming it was Ryo, Gohan didn't waste a second voicing his displeasure. "It's about time! I was getting tired of waiting!" Gohan's eyes widened when an angry female voice answered him.

"Well, excuse me! You're the one who told me to… Gohan?!"

"Videl?! I um... Oh crap."

"What are you doing here?! Are you spying on us?!" Videl frowned on the outside, but on the inside some small part of her smiled at that thought.

"No, no! You see Ryo… Awe crap…'

Videl placed her drink in a hostler, and the bag of popcorn she bought in the chair before crossing her arms, and glaring at Gohan menacingly. "Now tell me! What in the world is going on here?!"

Gohan sighed, and rested his hand against his forehead. "Ryo was really nervous about going on this date with you tonight, and he asked me to tag along to make sure he didn't chicken out or something. He asked me to save his seat, don't ask me why I know there's only three other people in this theater right now, while he went to the bathroom. He promised me he'd be back before you would, but as you can see he lied!"

"I see…" Videl wasn't sure whether to believe him her not. She knew Gohan was not the type to lie out right, so in the end she decided to take him at his word. She picked up her popcorn, and gawked at it as she took her seat. "If he went to the bathroom then why didn't he just stop and buy this stuff himself! He had me do it because he said he didn't want to miss the movie."

"I don't know maybe he…"

Videl and Gohan's eyes widened in sync with each other. Videl was the first to voice what was on both the teenager's minds.

"Oh Kami that little…"

"We've been had!"

In the meantime, Ryo had just exited the building, whistling with his hands stuffed smugly into his pockets. "I can't believe they fell for that! It's funny how everybody forgets about the oldest trick in the book when they don't expect anybody to use it. Oh well, when a cow's being stubborn sometimes you have to poke it in the butt to get it moving…. Speaking of beef, I'm hungry. I think I'll go grab a burger. Yeah, that sounds good!"

"I can't believe he did this," Videl repeated for about the fifth time as she shook her head. 

"Why can't you? We both should've seen this coming. When you think about it, it sounds just like something he'd pull."

"Yeah well, he didn't exactly go by the book. Usually, when you try to fix two people up you lead them somewhere and ditch them, not ask them out, talk your other friend into tagging along, confuse the hell out of everybody, and then duck out on you! I will hand it to him though, he made it almost impossible to be suspicious. I don't know whether to be offended or not. I thought he really liked me for a minute or two there… Guess I should've known better."

"Don't talk like that, you know that's not the reason Videl! I guess he still thinks we have a thing for each other… He's getting rather desperate to see us together if you ask me, to go to these extremes I mean."

"Yeah. You have to admire his ingenuity though," Videl sighed as she looked at the screen. "I wonder why he picked such a horrible movie though?"

Gohan smiled at this. "Probably because he knew we wouldn't stay and watch it."

"He just might've been right…" Videl grumbled. "I'm not sure how much more of this I can stand."

"Well, I know how much more I can stand, and it's only about three more seconds." Gohan would've been lying if he said he didn't feel awkward about all of this. Still, he pushed that to the side for once, and smiled at Videl. "Hey, you want to go grab a bite to eat or something Videl? Ryo went to all this trouble, and I'd hate to disappoint him."

"I won't do anything just to satisfy that little dorks delusions!" Videl blushed slightly, but covered it up well with a smile. "But I will do it for me. Now let's get out of here before we fall asleep!"

The two friends wasted little time escaping from the theater. The question of where they would go for dinner didn't take long to answer. They decided on a little café that was almost empty when they walked in. They parked themselves in a corner booth, and pretty much chatted close to an hour away rather then eat. Gohan even decided to take it easy when it came to eating, so not to freak out Videl again. It was only a minor coincidence that it was much easier on his wallet as well. He'd already eaten a big dinner anyway.

"The Tenkaichi Budokai? Is it time for that again already?" Gohan asked.

"Yep, it's only a few weeks away Gohan. Heck, it's pretty much the biggest day of the year for this city, and you're telling me you had no idea?!"

"Can't say that I did," Gohan grinned. "I guess it's just not that big of deal to me as it is to a lot of people in this town. So, I'm assuming you're going to enter?"

"Of course I'm going to enter! I wouldn't miss this for the world! A chance to show the world, and prove to myself how far my skills have come over the past seven years. You know I did win the Junior Division during the last tournament."

Gohan looked confused. "There's a Junior Division now?"

"Yeah, they put it in place about two tournaments back after this young kid broke his neck during the quarter finals," Videl informed Gohan. "They just don't want to take the risk of kids getting hurt like that anymore."

"I guess I can understand that, but I can't say I completely agree with it. Look at my dad for instance. He was still a kid when he made it to the finals. Sticking him with a bunch of children would've almost been like an insult to him."

"Tell me about it," Videl mumbled. "When I found out I was going to have to participate in that thing instead of the adult competition, I didn't exactly take it very sportingly. Heck, the entire thing was a joke! I don't think even one of those snot nosed little brats lasted more then two minutes with me. It was so easy I was almost too embarrassed to accept the title when they awarded it to me."

"I can imagine. Your father must've been proud of you huh?"

"Are you kidding?! He ate the thing up! It was great for publicity after all. World Champion Hercule, and Junior Champion daughter Videl. At the time I was too young to realize what the heck it really meant to him." Videl frowned as another thought of her father crossed her mind. "He's also the favorite to win again this year. A part of me really wants to see him win again, another part of me would love to see someone finally knock him off his high horse, and a third more spiteful part of me would love to kick the crap out of him myself!"

Gohan laughed at this. "Well Videl, you do know you just might get a chance to make that happen."

"Are you kidding?! He's the World Champ! He'd rip me to pieces…" Videl wondered as to why Gohan was smiling the way he was. Of course she had no idea Gohan already knew that her father was actually little match for her. "What are you smirking at? Hey, are you going to enter the tournament by any chance?"

"What, me? No, I don't think so."

"And why not? I know you had to have learned some kind of fighting techniques from your father other then how to take a punch without flinching. Think of the possibilities, the son and the daughter of the last two winners of the Tenkaichi Budokai going head to head!"

Gohan had to admit that it sounded tempting… Not fighting with Videl, but the thought of entering a fighting competition appealed greatly to his Sayian side. That's when he remembered what kind of competition there would be. Absolutely none, so basically it would've been a waste of his time. "No… I don't think so. I really don't care for fighting all that much unless I have to. Besides, I'd just kick your butt anyway."

"You can not!" Videl frowned playfully, as she slammed her first down next to Gohan's plate almost knocking over his juice. "You'd be dreaming boy! Or maybe you're afraid to enter because you know I might wipe the ring with you!"

"Maybe that's it, but probably not," Gohan teased, wearing a sly look that let Videl know he wasn't going to be goaded into anything. "Honestly though, I just don't think I'm interested."

Videl eased back in her seat, wearing that half frown/half smile Gohan had come to know and quite honestly love. While it scared most people, it charmed him in some strange way. "So… You mean there's no family tradition or battle lust you've inherited from your father?"

"Now that you mention it, I guess fighting does flow through my veins, and I'd be lying if I said there wasn't some part of me that didn't enjoy a good fight," Gohan said truthfully, naturally leaving out the part of that blood being that of an alien race of warriors called Sayians.

"Then what's the problem then?! Come on, sign up with me! It'll be fun."

"Well… I'll tell you what, I'll think about it okay. At least long enough to think up some excuses why I shouldn't."

"That's good enough for me for now," Videl accepted. "You know I'm going to goad you until you say yes."

"I don't doubt it!" Gohan laughed. "So… What do you think about all this?… This thing with Ryo I mean. You're not disappointed that this was all some cheap attempt to fix us up are you?"

"No, not at all," Videl replied honestly. "I told you already that I like Ryo, but I'm not interested in him in that way. I just see him as a friend."

A mischievous smirk found Gohan's face. "Then why did you say yes then?"

"The reason why is not important!" Videl blushed. "Also, like I said before, why not?"

"So, I guess Ryo isn't this guy you've been telling me about then huh?"

"Nope."

"Then I have no idea who else it might be then…Is he anyone I know?" A look of horror fell over his face. "Wait a minute? It's not Sharpner is it?!"

"Kami, no!" Videl wasn't sure whether she should laugh or puke. "That's not even funny Gohan! As for the first question yes. Oh yes, is he ever! As for Ryo… I wouldn't say I was disappointed about anything except for maybe in myself because I should've seen it coming. Not that I really care, but come on! I mean a guy actually interested in me? That isn't a creep anyway! I should've known better."

"Don't start that Videl!" Gohan groaned. "How many times have we been through this? Then again, you can't really blame a guy for not wanting to date a girl who could kick the crud of him."

Videl frowned. "Isn't this where you're supposed to encourage me?!"

"I'm kidding Videl! Look, I'll admit… You are a tough as nails type of girl with a bit of a temper, and you do scare the hell out of people from time to time. I know you say you don't care right now, and I don't doubt you, but one of these days you're going to find someone who's going to look past all that. You're a very sweet, likeable, and kindhearted person when you'll let people see it Videl. As far as the martial arts thing goes, I for one think it's kind of sexy…" Gohan nearly chocked on his tongue as he stopped himself. In the meantime, Videl's face turned the shade of an apple, and she laughed slightly.

"Why Gohan… If I didn't know any better I'd say you were trying to hit on me. You're not are you?"

"Umm… That depends," Gohan gulped nervously. "If I say yes, you're not going to start hitting on me literally are you?"

"Why don't you just answer me and find out?" Videl said wearing an evil smile that didn't install Gohan with much confidence.

Gohan wisely decided that then was a good time to shut up. He stayed silent for the better part of a minute, but she didn't try to pry an answer out of him like he expected. He bounced around nervously, Videl's eyes never once leaving him, and still wearing the exact same smirk on her face. "Videl what are you doing?"

"I'm just looking at you. You have a problem with that then tough."

"No, I don't… I'm just wondering why…"

"I don't know," Videl's grin softened into more of a playful smile. "Maybe I like what I see. You know you look cute when you're all nervous like this."

"Now who's hitting on who?" Gohan countered.

"Well, at least I'll admit it," Videl retorted, causing Gohan's face to light up red. That was about the last thing he was expecting her to say.

Gohan found himself lost for words yet again. Another few moments passed, Videl's eyes still locked on the boy practically teasing him. Gohan smiled deciding he was going to use those shinny blue orbs against her. He forced himself to look Videl straight in the eyes, causing her to blush a bit and finally whipped that smirk off her face. "You know you have gorgeous eyes Videl. It's hard to notice when you're giving the evil eye like you usual do, but I can see it right now. I don't think I've ever quite seen that shade of blue before. I guess I should feel honored they're looking at me. Has anybody ever told you that?"

Videl lowered her head slightly. "Yeah, but not from anybody who's opinion really matters."

"Does mine matter?"

"Maybe…"

"Hey, at least I got a maybe. That's a lot more then I expected," Gohan joked.

"Well then maybe you don't expect enough from yourself."

Just like that it seemed that both of them had run out of things to say, as if they realized what they were doing and suddenly became all shy all of the sudden. Not that either one was sorry it happened either. In fact, they were both thinking along the same lines. They had cycled through various emotions since Ryo had left them stranded. At first a bit amused, then a little ticked about it, and now they were both to a point where they might have to thank the little geek for it.

"It sure looks like a nice night out there huh?" Videl asked as she looked out the window, finally breaking the tension.

"Yeah it does. You want to go for a walk or something?"

"Sure."

Gohan paid for their meal, and the two exited the café. Videl smirked, and said out of the blue. "I bet I'm faster then you!"

"You really think so?" Gohan asked skeptically, and made sure Videl noticed.

"Well we're about to find out." Videl smacked Gohan on the shoulder, and took off running. "TAG, YOUR IT!"

"Oh, grow up Videl!" Gohan called after her.

"What's the matter pokey?! You afraid you can't catch me?!" Videl taunted him before disappearing around the corner into some alley.

Gohan smirked, sensing his Sayian pride being tested. "We'll see about that. I have a little surprise for you Videl."

Videl smile confidently before turning around, and seeing that Gohan was nowhere in sight. She frowned slightly, wondering if he was even chasing after her, only to get the surprise of her life when she turned around to find Gohan standing no more then ten feet in front of her. More out of shock then anything else, Videl tried to slam on the breaks only to lose her balance and tumble right into Gohan's awaiting arms. Videl lifted her head up slowly until she made eye contact with Gohan, and they both lit up like lava lamps. 

"Umm… Excuse me…" Videl stammered. "Thanks for stopping me I guess…"

"You're welcome," Gohan gulped. His arms were still latched around her waist, from where he had grabbed her to keep her from falling. He wasn't about to move them until Videl made him either. He also noted how she still hadn't bothered to loosen her grip from around his waist either. All of the sudden, a thought of the Videl everyone else except him, Ryo, and possibly Erasa knew came to mind. Gohan laughed at the thought of the consequences most guys in this position might have to face by now. "So… Am I the first?"

Videl cocked her brow in confusion. "The first to what?"

"The first guy to put his arms around you like this without getting them ripped off and beat with."

Videl stayed silent for just a moment and stared at him, before beginning to laugh. "Now that I think about it, yeah I think so… You know Gohan, I actually had a really good time tonight…"

"Yeah… Me too…"

"You know I really wouldn't mind doing this again sometime… For real I mean…"

"I don't think I'd mind either…"

Gohan panicked a bit when he felt Videl's grip tighten ever so slightly as her arms began to slide farther up his back, but that was quickly forgotten. Gohan pulled his head back slightly, but Videl's face just kept moving closer regardless. Close enough where he could feel her hard anxious breath roll into his face. He forced his eyes to focus on her face, and noticed how nervous she looked even with her eyes half closed. A lot like she wanted something, but she was still trying to decide whether she should pursue it or not. The little space in between them disappeared ever so slowly, and now nether one of them was in much of a position to think let alone worry about now trivial things like consequences and doubts. Breathing became a bit harder and shallow, and hearts started to beat a little faster while their lips moved that much closer together… For a few moments that seemed to last an eternity for those who had been secretly waiting for this to happen most, it seemed like it was inevitable but…

It wasn't meant to be just yet. All of Gohan's senses and rational thought had pretty much melted like butter by then, but one uncanny sense of his remained sharp. He felt the approach of a strong Ki coming towards them. The person he sensed wouldn't have been anything more then a walk in the park to Gohan, but with Videl there with him it was enough to make him take notice. Enough for him to turn his head away and grimace at the night sky, searching for any signs of whoever he might've sensed. He found no one, and all he managed to do was ruin the tender little moment they had almost shared. Videl for one wasn't exactly thrilled with the sudden change of the mood.

"Gohan, what are you doing?!" Videl frowned, clearly agitated that Gohan had pulled away just seconds before they could make time stop. She finally let go of him, and put her hands to her hips allowing her expression to demand an answer for her. "What's your problem, you think I have cooties or something?! Grow up!"

"I'm sorry Videl, I thought I felt someone…" Gohan and Videl stared down each other briefly before they both blushed as if they both just then realized what they had just come a mere second or two away from doing. Once again, Gohan let his guard down for just a second. A second too long. 

"AGHH!" Gohan screamed, as he felt someone's foot strike him right between the shoulder blades. Gohan went flying hard into a brick wall, knocking over a trio of trashcans set up behind one of the buildings, sending their contents spewing everywhere, and sending alley cats fleeing for their lives. Gohan bounced off the wall, and rolled about three times before finding his lips kissing the pavement. He laughed thinking how he knew it would've been much sweeter kissing Videl, his last thought before he blacked out for the time being.

"GOHAN!" Videl cried, as she watched him get sent crashing into one of the buildings. She would've run over to him if his attacker hadn't had the gall to show himself to her. In an enraged fit, Videl lunged at the strange masked man only to be surprised when he quickly disappeared from her sight. He reappeared behind her, prompting her to turn around and growl at him. "Why did you attack Gohan?!"

"Don't worry about your little boyfriend," the man snickered. "I'm not interested in him, I merely needed to get him out of the way. I'm here for your life miss. I am called Riego, and I represent the Ray Lien."

"Is that supposed to scare me?" Videl smirked, noting how the man before her was deck out in a full body pink Gi. "Forgive me, but I'm not about to be intimidated by some over confident Mortal Kombat reject!"

"Mortal Kombat? Interesting… What is this Mortal Kombat, some sort of human fighting competition?"

"No, it's a video game you moron!"

"Video game?"

"Oh, just shut up!" Videl shouted, as she took a swing at him only to deck thin air as he phased out. Reigo appeared behind her, and before Videl knew what was happening Riego had his armed lassoed around her throat effectively squeezing the breath of her. "Let go of me you creep…" Videl wheezed as she kicked, clawed, and bit at him in every different way she could manage from her position. No matter how hard she struggled she just couldn't break free, and all that was doing was pissing her off even more.

"You are a feisty one. And quite alluring too… But a job is a job I guess." 

Reigo flattened out his palm, and jammed it into the back of Videl's skull. A numb feeling feel over Videl as her body stiffened up, and for a few frightening moments it felt like she couldn't breath. Reigo released his hold on her, only to allow her limp body to drop to the ground as she had already lost consciousness. Riego humfed indifferently before pulling the girl's body up to her knees by her ponytails.

"You see… I'm not all bad miss… At least you won't feel any pain when you meet your end."

"Videl…" Gohan mumbled as he came to, listening to the voice of his father scolding him for letting his guard down like that. "VIDEL!" Gohan shouted out this time, as he saw her predicament. He forced himself up onto his feet, but by then he was watching in horror as the blade of Riego's sword raced towards Videl's neck.

One quick swipe and the job would be done, that was Riego's mindset anyway. His eyes widened a bit when the sword stopped just inches in front of her neck, and felt his wrist being restrained. Much to the assassin's surprise, he looked up to find the big brown eyes of a human boy looking at him. Before Reigo could react, he pulled his arm back and nailed the ninja right in his jaw. Riego flew backwards, and hit the ground with

enough force to shatter the back of the average human. 

"Ryo!" Gohan gaped in amazement after watching his friend nearly take Riego's head off. Fully recovered by that point, Gohan sprinted over to the boy, the only reason for that being was that he was already kneeling over Videl's body checking her over.

"Don't worry, she's still alive Gohan," Ryo assured him. "She's out cold, that's all."

"Thank Kami… And you too Ryo." Gohan looked in Reigo's direction as the ninja struggled to sit up, and he growled. "If you'll excuse me I have some business to take care of."

Ryo stood up, and cut Gohan off. "No. I'll take care of him Gohan. You need to…"

"Forget it Ryo!" Gohan's face got stern and serious. "Thanks for the offer, but I can take care of myself! This is personal!"

"I know that Gohan, but you're going to have other problems to worry about in a few seconds!"

"Like what?!" Ryo didn't have time to answer him. He got his answer when he felt another large Ki nearby, much stronger then Reigo's. Gohan nodded his head towards Ryo to let him know he understood. "Okay, I'll leave him to you then. You be careful…"

"You too…" Ryo trailed off, as if he was reluctant to say what was on his mind. "I know you're going to overreact to this, but you better take my word for it. This next guy isn't someone to fool around with, so you might want to go Super Sayian to be on the safe side…"

Gohan's mouth nearly hit the pavement. Ryo had already attempted to make his getaway when Gohan grabbed him by the side of the arm, and pulled him back to him so they were looking each other right in the eyes. "Hold on just one second! How did you know I was a Super Sayian?!"

"There's no time for that now! I'll explain later, but at the moment we've got more important things to worry about!"  


Gohan wanted to protest, but he understood that Ryo was right. He felt that Ki he'd been sensing coming closer, and that was enough to convince him to drop the subject. By the time he blinked his eyes Ryo was already off and on his way anyway. That's when Gohan's eyes fell back down to the young lady laid out on the ground at his feet. "Videl…" That urge to rip Riego limb from limb returned to him, and all of the sudden decided he didn't give a damn about Ryo's warning. Before he could act on that instinct he felt that Ki again, and it was close… Very close… It took Gohan a moment to place a lock on the newcomer, but finally he did. He was right above his head."

"HEY!" Gohan grunted, as he rolled out of the way of a blurred streak. That streak came into view in the form of a Katana attached to the arm of a man dressed exactly like Reigo, except his uniform was dark blue. The ninja stood up slowly and glared at Gohan through the corner of his eye, representing the mirror image of poise and confidence. Gohan on the other hand was pulsating, his Sayian blood melting away any composure he might've normally shown. He didn't care if this was Riego or not, he was there, and all he wanted to do was take somebody's head off. Whoever the hell this guy was, he would do just fine. "So, your friend brought some backup huh? That's just fine with me!"

The blue ninja looked indifferent. "We don't require backup boy. Riego is here for the girl. My mission is different from his. I am Syro of the Ray Lien. The reason I'm here should be obvious to you by now."

"So you're here to take me out eh? Might I ask why? What the hell is the Ray Lien anyway?!"

"You ask too many questions boy," Syro sneered. "I'd give you your answers, but that would be a waste of breath. You won't live long enough to ponder them."

"You think so?" Gohan smirked. "I'd like to see you try to make good on that threat! Come on, try me!"

"In such a hurry to die. Well if you insist." 

Syro readied his sword, and his speed took Gohan by surprise. Syro phased out, and faster then Gohan could blink his assassin was behind him swinging for his neck. Syro got a surprise of his own when Gohan picked up his movement, and ducked out of the way. Gohan threw a kick upward, knocking Syro's Katana from his hand. Gohan wasted little time following up with several punches and kicks. He landed the first two knocking Syro back, but the Ray Lien managed to shake the blows off and caught up with the Demi-Sayians pace, managing to block or dodge every one of Gohan's attacks. Gohan growled in frustration, and loaded up all his strength behind one kick he hoped would take Syro's head off. Literally if needed be. Still enraged over watching Videl nearly get decapitated by Riego, Gohan wasn't thinking straight. Normally his first thought during a fight would be that someone with Syro's speed and strength was nowhere near weak enough for that kind of attack to work. Gohan's kick was way to slow, and sailed over Syro's head. The blue assassin capitalized, bringing his knee up into the small of Gohan's back. Gohan arched his back over in pain, but still managed to plant his fist into Syro's face knocking him back. Both combatants reeled backwards a few steps before gathering their bearings, and stared each other down.

Gohan grinned. "You're not that bad."

"You're not so bad yourself," Syro jeered, before they jumped at each other again.

Riego groaned as he picked himself up off the ground. Riego mumbled something towards Ryo that the boy couldn't understand. Ryo recoiled in shock when he took a good look at Reigo's face. His jaw was badly dislocated from the rest of his face, protruding off to the left as far as it would go without completely unhinging from the rest of his face. Ryo's shock would change into the urge to puke at what Riego did next. Riego placed his hand underneath his chin, and violently snapped it back into place. He adjusted it slightly before turning his attention back to Ryo. "Damn you boy… That hurt."

"Ewe…" Ryo cringed. "Guess I don't know my own strength."

"Don't get too full of yourself, it was a lucky punch! You caught me off guard, and now you're going to pay for it… Then I'll take care of the girl."

"I think you're the one who's full of yourself," Ryo laughed. "A pink Gi huh? That means you're just a level one Ray Lien huh? Or are you just a rookie?"

"What do you know about our classing system?!" Riego growled, clearly insulted. "I can still destroy you with a breath you little…"

"You just breathed, and I'm still standing. Maybe two will do it, give it a try."

"Silence you!…" 

Riego leapt forward, launching a kick at Ryo's face that the boy easily dodged. The over anxious ninja was quick to follow up with a rapid succession of punches and kicks all of which Ryo blocked for courtesy if anything. He sighed, seeing why Riego was a mere level one assassin. His technique was sloppy and predictable, and packed little force behind his attacks. He found it hard to believe he managed to even stun Gohan, even if he did have his guard down. Ryo thought that this fool was lucky Gohan didn't power himself up when he felt Riego coming, or he might've broken his leg when he came in contact with Gohan's body. Gohan must've been *really* into Videl for this weakling to get the jump on him like that. 

Ryo decided to put this little hapless fool out of his misery. Ryo allowed Riego one last free punch that he dodged before burying his fist into Riego's gut. Riego's eyes nearly bulged out of his skull as he doubled over. Ryo followed up with an uppercut to Riego's jaw, knocking it out of place towards the right this time as he flew backward. He flew through the air like a dart until his skull crashed into the hard brick of a nearby wall, miraculously avoiding blowing a hole into it in the process. The sound of his skull crashing into the wall drowned out the sound of the bones in his neck snapping as his body folded up like and accordion. Riego dropped to the ground, shuttering and grunting slightly before his body was drug away by the cold unforgiving hands of death.

Ryo was taken back a bit at the scene, for that was not at all how he expected to end the fight. He hadn't even hit Riego all that hard… He must've been even weaker then Ryo originally thought. Ryo shrugged the unpleasant thought off, and went to check on Gohan. He was up against a much more powerful opponent after all.

Gohan had underestimated this Syro guy drastically. To that point the ninja warrior had matched Gohan move for move, and even gained the upper hand on two separate occasions. Gohan managed to rebound both times, and now they were locked in a familiar pattern of blocking and attacking at a pace that would seem like the speed of light to the naked eye. Finally, Syro managed to land a hard left into Gohan's face knocking the boy to the ground. Gohan quickly dusted himself off, and wiped off the blood trickling from the smile on his lips. 

"This is pathetic," Syro complained. "What did I expect from a Sayian anyway? You're allegedly an all powerful race, and yet I've never fought a one of you that was ever any match for me."

"Well, I will give you that, you do seem to have this Sayian's number so far," Gohan smiled wickedly. "But let's see how well you can do against a Super Sayian."

"Ack, don't trifle with me boy! Super Sayian's don't exist! That's just some old wives tale, Sayian women created to make their children behave."

"You think so?" Gohan taunted, as his Ki began to flare and flicker. "So, tell me what you think of this?!"

Syro's eyes widened more from the dramatic spike in the boy's energy than the gold aurora that erupted around the boy's body. Even someone who couldn't sense Ki, much like Syro, he could still feel the power simply pouring out of him. Gohan even caused the ground to shake just for show, as he completed his transformation to a Super Sayian. "What in the?…"

"So, do you still think Super Sayians don't exist?"

"That's your so-called Super Sayian?" Syro asked, after shaking the initial sense of shock off. "Turning your hair gold? Big deal, I'm not impressed."

"Then allow me to show you what else I can do." 

Gohan aimed a punch directed towards Syro's face, and the Ray Lien foolishly put his hand up to block it assuming Gohan's power hadn't risen all that considerably even with his little light show. It had the effect of a plywood shield against cold Spanish steel. Gohan punched Syro's hand right into his face, and before Syro could wonder what the hell was happening, Gohan was all over him. The blue ninja tried desperately to block or dodge everything Gohan so rapidly threw at him, but most hit dead on regardless and with tremendous force. First a right to the face, then a left to the body, and vice versa several times in rapid succession. A vicious assault that would have killed lesser men. Eventually, Syro appeared to have realized just what he was up against, and responded accordingly. Gohan appeared to be growing frustrated that he hadn't been able to knock Syro off his feet yet, and Syro used that to his advantage. Gohan hesitated for one second, and Syro saw his opening to launch a hard roundhouse kick to Gohan's face. To his horror, Gohan caught his leg like it were a can of soda, and the smirk the Sayian gave Syro made him want to scream. He might have done just that, if Gohan hadn't planted his fist into Syro's face before he could. 

Syro flew backwards, crashing straight through the brick wall at his back. Luckily, it was just some old abandoned storehouse, so he didn't give anyone the scare of their lives. Gohan walked slowly, methodically in a way, finding the building rather dark as he entered through the freshly made door. Gohan flared his Ki slightly so that his golden aurora shown brighter, illuminating the dark area. Still no sign of Syro however, no sign of him except for the big blue ball of Ki speeding towards his head. With a flick of his wrist, Gohan sent the ball of energy upward, blowing another hole in the roof of the building before it ascended into space. Gohan's first thought was as to why Syro would've used such a weak attack against him, but then thought that maybe he had severely weakened Syro by that juncture of the battle. He would soon realize it was merely a distraction for the second Gohan knocked away the blast Syro was already in his face. The Ray Lien assassin rammed his shoulder into Gohan's chest, sending the boy flying back out of the building. 

Gohan took control of his body before he hit the ground, using one hand to spring off the pavement and to his feet just in time to greet a charging Syro. He launched a series of rapid punches and kicks at the Demi-Sayian that accomplished nothing except showing the boy that his opponent was getting desperate. Gohan waited for just the right opportunity, and landed a kick of his own right underneath Syro's chin spinning the blue ninja completely around. Syro played it for more then it was worth, and surprised Gohan by sending a back kick into Gohan's stomach. Syro then hit ground and attempted to take out Gohan's legs, when the boy surprised him this time by taking to the air. Gohan rose slowly, summoning up the energy from the center of his body. "Ka…. me…

Syro's eyes widened in horror. "Is he insane?! He has to know an attack like could destroy this entire planet if he misses me!"

"ha… me…"

Screw the planet. Syro wasn't about to take the bullet for Earth, if it imploded on itself that wasn't his concern. Syro scrambled to his feet, stumbling slightly as he did so.

Gohan smirked. He had no intention of firing that attack, and he got exactly what he wanted. For Syro to let his guard down. Gohan used his Super Sayian speed, and in a flash was standing in front of a mortified Syro. Gohan almost literally drilled Syro in the gut. The ninja doubled over violently, as Gohan followed up with a hard roundhouse to Syro's chin that nearly took his head off. Like the loser of a bout in a bad boxing movie, Syro collapsed to the ground seemingly in slow motion. His body gyrated slightly, but other then that he stayed limp.

Gohan stalked over to his fallen opponent, and glared down at him as Syro shuttered slightly. In a show of mercy he was going to leave it at that, and leave the man to live or die on his own. That was until a voice rang in from behind him that told him otherwise.

  
"Finish him Gohan," Ryo told him. "There's no other way."

A slightly disgusted look formed on Gohan's face. "I will not! I've already defeated him, so there's no need for that! He couldn't pose much of a threat to a houseplant at the moment!"

"That's not the point Gohan!" Ryo insisted. "You don't know how his kind operates, I do. He won't stop until you're dead! He'll keep coming after you until the job's done!"

"He's right…" Syro mumbled, as he rolled over on his stomach. "Please just end my life now, and give me an honorable death. I can't go back now… You have no idea what the price of failure is for the Ray Lien."

"Well that's your problem then isn't it?" Gohan said almost cruelly. Maybe it was, but if he was going to die anyway he'd rather have it on Syro's comrades hands rather than his. "Maybe you should've chosen a more honest life."

"You really think it's that simple boy?" Syro snickered, as he struggled to his knees. "I won't stop until I've finished you… And if I can't beat you one-on-one, maybe I'll just find some other way to get to you. I've done some research on you boy, as we do with all our targets. It would be a shame if something happened to your poor dear mother. I also know that you have a little brother… I've always wondered what the insides of a human child looks like…"

"Shut up!" Gohan growled, as he kicked Syro in the face. Syro rived on the ground, and coughed up blood through his mask. Gohan had half a mind to grant Syro's request, but he composed himself allowing that surge of Sayian adrenaline to sizzle out. He promised himself never to let it get out of control again after all. "If you get so much as fifty feet from my family I'll do more then kill you, I'll rip you limb from limb and feed the rest of you to my friend Todo and his family!"

Gohan left it at that, and walked away. Syro however, would have none of it. He gathered up all the strength left in his battered body to launch one last desperate attack while Gohan's back was turned. Ryo cried out to warn him, but it wasn't all that necessary. Gohan felt him coming. He whirled around, and fired a small Ki blast into Syro's chest. Syro stood still doing nothing besides moaning slightly, as his last seconds of life ticked away. Gohan stared in shock, as Syro's body fell over. He couldn't feel Syro's Ki anymore. Not one bit of it. He hadn't intended for that blast to be strong enough to do anything but stun him, yet still…

"He leaned into it," Ryo explained, as if answering his unasked question. "Well, so to speak anyway. He powered down as much as he could, and made sure he took your blast head on. He had no intentions of going back to his masters a failure."

"If you say so," Gohan stammered, a bit unnerved by his latest kill though unintentional. He shook it off, realizing he had other more important things to concern himself with. He walked over to Videl, and checked her over one last time before taking her in his arms. He smiled, noting how her Ki had improved steadily to the normal level of a sleeping human, and that otherwise she appeared perfectly fine. 

"Well, I see you have things well under control here," Ryo smiled at the protective way Gohan cradled Videl to his chest. "Guess I'll be on my way then."

"You wait just a minute!" Gohan demanded, sounding almost angry. "You're not going anywhere until you explain to me what's going on!"

Ryo frowned defensively. "I fail to see why I need to explain myself to you."  


"And why not Ryo?! What are you afraid of?! Are you hiding something you don't want me to know about?! Like for example how you even knew I was a Sayian let alone a Super Sayian!"

"I have my ways," Ryo answered simply. "I'm sorry Gohan, but like you have things you don't want people to know about you, I have things I don't want people knowing about me. Though I may know more about you then you could ever imagine, I still didn't see you sharing any of it with me. I'm sorry, but I just can't tell you as of right now…"

"I'm not going to accept that! I need to know how you know about me, and what you know about these Ray Lien! Not to mention how you know about them, and how the hell you knew they were going to attack us here! I need to know Ryo! Until I do, I'm not sure if I can trust you!…"

Gohan regretted his choice of words the second Ryo looked back at him. He didn't look surprised, he didn't look angry… He just went cold, and glared at Gohan briefly before turning his head away. "Fine then Gohan… Have it your way. I would've thought you knew me better by now… And here I thought we were friends. Guess I was wrong."

"Were are friends Ryo! It's just that… You say that, but you refuse to tell me anything about you…"

"Would you have ever told me you were a half-alien, one that just happened to kill a monster named Cell seven years ago unless you absolutely had to? Would you have told me anything about your trip to Namek, or your fight with Frieza? Would you have shared any of that with me, or even Videl for that mater? Would you, or would you have kept it a secret as long as you possibly could?"

Gohan's eyes widened, as Ryo ran off a brief history of rather important events of his life he by all means had no business of having any knowledge of. Ryo was really starting to give him the creeps. "Well no but…"

"That's what I thought. I guess there's nothing left to say then," Ryo sighed, as he took to the air.

"Ryo wait!" Gohan nearly took off after him when he remembered the precious cargo he was holding in his arms. He forgot all about Ryo for the moment, and looked down at her. His eyes widened a bit when the girl moaned, and began to stir. Gohan blushed ever so slightly when he heard her moan out his name.

"Gohan…" Videl opened her eyes slowly, only for them to shoot all the way open when she saw just who was holding her. "It's you again!"

Gohan was confused for a moment, until he remembered he was still in Super Sayian form. To her he was the Gold Fighter at the moment, not her friend Gohan. "So you're awake. Getting yourself into trouble again I see…"

Videl frowned as if she was going to snap at him, but stopped when something more important entered her mind. She shot up into a sitting position, still in Gohan's arms, and looked all around the surrounding area. "There was a boy here with me! Did you see where he…"

"Your friend is fine, he's already headed off on his way home."

Videl frowned again. Gohan couldn't decide whether she was angry or looked more disappointed. "Oh really…"

Gohan picked up on the hint and smiled. "He really didn't want to leave you though, I practically had to kick him in the butt to get him off on his way. He was worried about you, but I convinced him I'd take care of you. There's no need to worry about that man coming after you again, he's been taken care of."

Videl's expression softened as he told her that. A smirk crossed the girl's lips, as she glanced over at the boy she called the Gold Fighter suspiciously. "Oh really… Still, I think I'm going to have to give him a piece of my mind tomorrow regardless."

Gohan sweat dropped. Wonderful! I'm really in for it now…

"Umm…Excuse me Golden Boy, but… Would you mind putting me down please?!"

"Oh sorry!" Gohan laughed nervously, as he set Videl down on her feet. "It is rather late… You don't need me to escort you home do you? Especially considering you were just attacked and all…"

"Thanks, but no thanks! I don't need a bodyguard, I can take care of myself!" Videl snapped, and then glared at Gohan as she set her hands on her hips. "Besides… I was hoping someone else would walk me home tonight, but since he supposedly ran out on me I guess I'll go myself."

"Oh, I see…" Gohan gulped. She was hoping I'd walk her home? Really?… What, am I doing?! Don't read too much into that Gohan!

Videl smiled at Gohan evilly, and it would've made the hair on Gohan's chest stand on in if he had any there. "You know you look cute when you're all nervous like that. What's the problem anyway?"

"Uh, no problem! Since you don't need any help, I guess I'll be going now. Ha, ha! See you later Videl!"

All Videl could do was smile as she watched Gohan fly away. Only one word entered her mind. "Dork."

In the meantime, Gohan was hovering in the air slightly pouting. "That was the same line she used on me back in the café… Guess I was stupid for letting myself fall for it."

Gohan wasn't about to let Videl walk all the way home by herself. He powered down, and followed her secretly until she was safely inside her home. After that, he headed home, and without a doubt would be left to ponder just what in the hell had happened that night. With Ryo, and Videl…

End.

-Whew! I spent most of Sunday editing this thing for you guys! Hope you appreciate it. As for the thing with Ryo asking Videl out, well besides setting up this chapter I really wanted include at least one thing in this story that would make the reader go *What the hell?!*. I do have a question for you guys. When Videl woke up after the fight scene did anybody else forget Gohan was still as Super Sayian, because I almost did and I wrote it! I didn't want to suffer alone, so I decided to make Gohan forget to. He was understandably distracted at that moment.

__

Chapter ten preview! Being stubborn like boys can be, Gohan and Ryo go the better part of a week without speaking to each other. Videl has no clue what happened between them, but she's determined to get them to make peace with each other. And possibly drive Sharpner crazy in the process… He, he.


	10. Chapter 10

-Howdy! Sorry it took me so long to get this chapter out, but do to circumstances beyond my control I've had to tangle with a few unavoidable distractions that have been hampering my workflow and delaying this posting… Okay, okay, truthfully I bought a new video game and I've been playing that, but I really did run into some problems! It's not really writers block, luckily I've never had to deal with that and if anything my biggest problem has been having too many ideas, but I do seem to go through a dead period where I go completely brain dead. I'll get burnt out for a week or two, and during that time I can just never seem to get myself into writing. I forced myself to write most of this chapter during one of those periods, so I'm sorry if this installment is a little lacking in quality compared to what your use to from me. Not that I'm writing a masterpiece here mind you, but a few of you really seem to be enjoying this story. I thank all four of you. Well, read on, and enjoy the story!

Chapter Ten

  
Videl grumbled, as she stared at Gohan from across the lunch table. Gohan smiled at her, trying his best to maintain his usually cheery and friendly disposition. However, Gohan was not the type that faked his emotions very well. This was something Videl had picked up about him as she grew closer to him, and got to know him better. This had been going on for the better part of a week now, and she knew it had something to do with Ryo. Ryo had been acting much the same way as Gohan had, except he didn't try to hide how he felt like Gohan was doing. They apparently had some sort of falling out, or disagreement that neither boy was willing to budge on. Videl had no idea what the problem was considering that neither boy would talk to her about it, and that was beginning to piss her off. Still, she was determined to find out, whether they were willing to cooperate or not.

Whatever the problem was, Ryo was apparently the catalyst when it came to dragging the problem on. Videl had watched Gohan approach Ryo several times to talk things over, but each time he tried Ryo usually just ignored him completely. He'd even begun ignoring her at times, but at least Ryo would talk to Videl when she approached him. Whenever she'd mention Gohan, that's when the conversation would halt, usually ending with Ryo walking away from her without much more then a sigh. 

If only getting Gohan and Ryo back on speaking terms was her only problem, then this mess would've been much easier to clean up. That just wasn't the only issue as far as Videl was concerned. Her mind kept cycling back and forth from the boy's problems, and back to her own issue. The issue of what happened, or more accurately what didn't happen, between her and Gohan just a few days before. She felt guilty for it, but she couldn't help herself. She felt something when she was with him… Whatever it was it sure felt good, and she liked it. Her mother had told her when Videl was really young that you'd know when you found someone special because you felt differently around that person then you did with anybody else. For instance that little fluttery feeling you get in your chest whenever he's around you, or his ability to make you do or say things that are so utterly stupid they make you want to bang your head against the wall Repeatedly. If not those, then other things that cater more to that persons personality. One of Videl's other things included getting angry with Gohan over the silliest little things at times, but mostly for his complete ignorance to whenever she tried to lay a hint in to him or hit on him. 

Videl wasn't completely sold on her mother's mushy views on the subject, remember Videl wasn't your ordinary young lady by any stretch of the imagination. All she knew was that she liked it when she was around Gohan, started to hate it sometimes when they were separated for a long period of time, and her ability to talk to Gohan about just about anything without a second thought. He would never judge her in any way, and simply was just there to lend an ear to listen and a shoulder to lean on. The type of person Videl thought a guy of her generation was incapable of being for the longest time. She loved the way he smiled, and there was just something about him that drew her to him. And that night when she accidentally stumbled into his arms, and they almost… She shivered just thinking about it. She could quite honestly say she would've snapped that asshole Riego's neck for just three or four extra seconds to feel what it might've been like… She wondered if Gohan had been thinking about that to.

But of course she knew he wasn't. He'd been having his own problems, and she was probably the farthest thing from his mind. That's one of the reasons she needed to hurry this up, and get things patched up with those two. Then she could concentrate on Gohan. Hell, there was no use pretending anymore. She was a girl used to getting what she wanted anyway… And now she wanted Gohan, she was sure of it. All that was left now was to find out if he wanted her in the same way…

"Why don't you at least try to talk it out with him Gohan?" Videl asked, after a good long period of silence.

Gohan continued to stare at the table, though he grimaced slightly. "There's no point. I've already tried to talk with him about it a dozen times, and he won't have anything to do with me. When he's ready to talk it out, let him come to me. If he's going to act like a child, I just assume not mess with him until he grows up anyway!"

"From what I've observed he's not the only one acting like a child!" Videl grumbled. "Watching you sitting here pouting like a five year old! What did you guys do anyway? Did someone steal someone's favorite toy?! What the hell happened anyway?! I want to help you guys, but I can't if I don't know what you two are fighting about!"

"I'm sorry Videl, but it's personal. We're not really fighting, we're just not talking right now…"

"What's the difference?!" Videl fumed, growing agitated. "I'm your friend too right, so why won't you guys talk to me?! This doesn't have something to do with me does it? This isn't about the other night is it? I mean, Ryo even setup that little rendezvous and all…"

"No, it has nothing to do with you Videl," Gohan smiled weakly. Then he started to give in… Videl was right. She did have the right to know what was going on. He didn't wish for her to get caught in the middle, but it looked as if she was going to stick herself right in-between them regardless if she knew or not. He figured it wouldn't hurt to tell her… Without revealing any details she didn't need to know that was. "Videl… You're right, you do at least deserve to know the basics… Let's just say that I said something I shouldn't have, though it was true and I won't go back on what I said. It's the way that it came across that I regret… Now that I think about it, I can't blame Ryo for being upset with me. I'd be mad too if one of you guys said something like that to me…"

A sly look developed on Videl's face. "So in other words… It is your fault after all, even though you've been swearing up and down to me it was all Ryo's."

"No, it's both our fault," Gohan admitted. "I was just angry when I tried to pin it all on him. I shouldn't have said what I did, but he shouldn't have been acting the way he was that got me to tell him what I did."

"I see… So what exactly did you say, and what exactly was Ryo doing?"

"I'm sorry Videl, but that's where it starts getting personal," Gohan told her straight out. "I shared with you more then I wanted to, so can we please just leave it at that?"

"Okay, I can live with that for now," Videl sighed. "It's more then I've known for a week now." You know you should really consider talking it out with Ryo though. As a matter of fact, I happen to know he's willing to talk it out with you. He told me so himself just this morning."

Gohan's head perked up. "Really? Why didn't he just talk to me then, instead of telling you…"

"I don't know! You're the one he's pissed off at, so you tell me! He probably wants to meet you in a more secluded spot to talk instead of such a crowded area like the school. Do you remember that special little spot of mine in the park where you gave me back my locket that one day?"

"Yes…" 

"He wants you to meet him there after school," Videl lied. This was something she was merely throwing out there at the spur of the moment. "So you boys can talk it out amongst yourselves."

"He really does huh?… Okay, I'll be there then. He better be serious about this though, or I'm through trying!"

"Don't worry about it, he is… He'll be there," Videl said, failing to sound all that sure of herself. Luckily, Gohan didn't pick up on this. That is if I can talk him into… Man, I should've thought this over before I opened my big mouth! Oh well, one down just one more to go then…

Videl caught up with Ryo shortly after lunch. She didn't even care if she wound up late for class, avoiding one little tardy was rather low on her priority list. As Videl suspected, Ryo ignored her at first, and tried to outrun her. Videl was not the type to be ignored or avoided however. Videl eventually ran him down, and Ryo reluctantly stopped to acknowledge her presence. "What is it Videl? If this is about Gohan then just forget it, I don't want to talk about him! Now if you don't mind, we need to get to class before we're late!"

"I'm aware of that, but I only need a minute of your time! I'll make it quick… It is about Gohan but…"

Ryo growled in disgust, and turned away from her. "Ah, give it a rest Videl! I told you that I don't want to talk about this!"

"If you'd just give me a second I'd…" Videl was left with her mouth hanging open, as she realized Ryo was walking away from her. Her head bobbed a bit, before her face started to boil red. With a growl, Videl grabbed Ryo by the side of his arm, and slammed him up against a row of lockers. Ryo looked a bit confused, that was until Videl got right in his face shooting him a heated glare that almost singed his eyebrows. "WAIT JUST A DAMN MINUTE RYO! DON'T YOU EVER WALK AWAY FROM ME AGAIN WHEN I'M TALKING TO YOU! I'M SICK AND TIRED OF WATCHING YOU AND GOHAN FIGHT LIKE CHILDREN! YOU'RE GOING TO SHUT UP AND LISTEN TO WHAT I HAVE TO SAY OR I'LL!…"

Ryo didn't appear shaken in the least by Videl's harsh town. The only part of his face that moved was his eyebrow when it rose upward. "Or you'll what?"

"OR I'LL!…" Videl's face softened in surprise, and that quickly changed into a bit of a frown at Ryo's apparent lack of respect of her. Normally she would've intimidated guys into sweating or cowering in a corner by now, including Gohan, and yet Ryo here look almost bored. "Well I… Okay, I don't know what I'll do but… What's the deal here, you're not scared of me?"

"Well no, not in particular."

"Well you should be!" Videl snorted. "I'm Satan Videl you know! The…"

"The daughter of Hercule, champion of the world and the man who defeated Cell," Ryo mocked, using his best Videl voice. "Whoopee! Forgive me for not cowering in your presence, but I have no reason to be afraid of you. You forget that I know you better then most, and I know you wouldn't really try to hurt me unless I give you a damn good and violent reason."

"I guess you got me there…" Videl half frowned, half smirked. "Still, you are going to listen to me! I don't care if we have to ditch school for the rest of the day if that's what it takes to get you to talk!"

"Fine," Ryo sighed in submission. "If it'll put a stop to all this, then just get it over with!"

"It's simple really. I have a message from Gohan… He wants to meet you in the park after school today to talk out your little problem. He would've asked you himself, but since you're not talking to him he asked me to tell you instead… He wouldn't tell me what you guys were fighting over, but he did give me a little insight. I don't know what he said to you, but whatever it was he regrets that it apparently came out all wrong. The only question I have left is, are you going to mature a little lightning fast and try to work this thing out, or are you going to keep ignoring him and pouting like a five year old about it?!" 

Ryo opened his mouth to retort, but face faulted before he could. It took a moment for Videl's words to sink in, and when they did it was almost like they had mapped out an entirely new horizon in that sometimes-stubborn head of his. "Damn… I have been acting… Fine Videl… I'll meet Gohan after school today… On one condition though, that you leave the issue be for the time being, and give me some time to think things through."

"Sounds fair to me, as long as you show up and leave the attitude behind!" Videl's eyes moved to the side, and her voice softened as she gave her next request. "I do have one thing I want to ask you before you go… You don't have to answer me if you don't want to, but I can't help but be curious. What exactly did Gohan say to you anyway?"

Ryo stared off into space, as if he were thinking over whether he should answer her or not. He gave a brief glance towards Videl before flipping his bag over his shoulder, and walking away. That was what she pretty much expected of him, but he did surprise her with one of his actions… He answered her. "He doesn't trust me."

Videl looked more than confused. "He doesn't trust you?! What is that supposed to mean?!" This time Ryo didn't bother to answer, leaving Videl to ponder that question on her own.

********

Gohan sat and waited anxiously under the cover of one of the many trees lining the area. He'd been there over a half hour now, and still no sign of Ryo… He wondered if the boy would even show. Gohan really hoped he would, he wanted to settle this thing here and now. He had gotten an opportunity to think more clearly over this situation over the past several hours. It was as simple as this… Ryo was one of the few friends he had, one of his best truthfully, and he had gone an alienated him. Trust was a very important factor among friends, people who were truly friends anyway and not just there to fill a void so you wouldn't be alone. He wanted to trust Ryo, he really did, and felt guilty that he really couldn't until he found out just where he came from. Still, he shouldn't have come out and told him that to his face like the did… He might've ruined any chance he had of anything like that developing by doing so.

Gohan jumped slightly when he heard some rustling in the brush behind him, cursing himself for not sensing the person's approach sooner. He knew who it was before he even looked up to see Ryo standing over him. Gohan couldn't tell if he looked more disgusted to be there, or if he was just really nervous. Just incase, he tired not to sound to enthusiastic or hostile as he greeted him. "Hey Ryo… What's up?"

"Nothing other then the usual…" Ryo trailed off, blushing slightly.

"So Videl said you wanted to talk to me?"

Ryo gave Gohan a funny look and laughed. "I wanted to talk to you? You are pathetic Gohan."

Gohan frowned. "Well, that's what she said! Did you want to talk, or did you just come to insult me?!"

"That's not the way I meant it Gohan," Ryo snickered again. "Let's put it this way, and maybe you'll pick up on what I'm trying say. Videl told me that *you* wanted to meet me here to talk it out."

"She did?" Gohan said, looking as confused as ever.

"Of course she did. She's the one that set this all up, I can't believe you didn't realize it when she told you! Poor Gohan, you are so naïve sometimes." Ryo sighed, and sat down next to Gohan. "But I still wanted to talk to you though… I've been doing some thinking, and now I realize how childish I've been acting lately… I'm sorry about ignoring you even when you were trying to apologize… I don't get really angry often, but when I do I stay that way for a while and I tend to act rather strangely. I tend to turn my back on the world, and try to walk away from life itself like it doesn't exist. I don't know why I act that way, I guess it developed from being alone for so long in my life. I've never been close to many people in my life. Just my sister, and my umm…" Ryo's face flushed red. "My friend… But I don't see either of them much anymore. I loved my Mom, but we never really bonded all that closely… She had her problems, and she passed away some time ago so that's a moot point anyway. You see, when you told me you didn't trust me that night, it just seemed like the same old story to me. All of the sudden I didn't have anybody to turn to. I was alone again so that's how I wanted to face my problems. That's why I seemed so bitter… For a while there, I really was determined to have nothing else to do with you guys, and go back the quiet dorky loner I was before you and Videl brought me out of my shell so to speak. That's just the way I am… Life's handed me lemons all my life, and eventually I got to the point where I hated lemonade."

Damn it! Gohan cursed to himself, along with several other various naughty words. Apparently, Ryo had very good reasons for not telling Gohan much about his life, and now he felt guilty for trying to pry it out of him. He was intent to listen though. Ryo finally seemed willing to provide a little insight to himself, and Gohan at least wanted to give him the courtesy of hearing him out. He hadn't been a very good friend lately, and now was a good time to start. The trust issue could wait for a moment, right now another topic was preying on his mind. "I can imagine… Hey, I've heard you mention your sister from time to time, but yet I've never met her. Is she close to you in age?"

Ryo laughed at this. "She's my twin!"

"Your twin?!" Gohan gaped. "Wow, and you never mentioned anything about that before?! Shouldn't she be going to school with us if she's the same age as you then? I mean, I haven't seen anyone who looks all that much like you…"

"Oh that. She doesn't live here, she lives in Tokyo with a foster family. And well… Technically she's a year younger then me, but that's where the story gets complicated. I'll have to save that one for another time."

"Fair enough. I'll leave it at that then…" Gohan quickly thought up something else. "Foster family? You mean she doesn't live with your father?"

"Are you kidding?!" Ryo practically growled. "He's a drunken idiot who isn't fit to raise kids! That's why Mom divorced him, and he couldn't get custody of us when she died a few years back…"

"So, you live with a foster family too then?" Gohan assumed.

"Nope, I live on my own. Have for almost three years now."

"Three years?! How do you support yourself?!"

Ryo snickered at Gohan's curiosity. "I know this is a lot to take in, but it's all true believe me. You see. my dad is what you might call loaded. My mother got half of his estate after the divorce, and when she died left her share to me. The money's enough to last me through college hopefully, and by then I should be able to get a job and wing it from there. It's not easy, but I've managed so far."

"I see…" Gohan stayed silent for a moment, trying to think up a decent way to get this conversation back on track to its true purpose. But first there was one little matter to clear up… Ryo smiled at Gohan, sensing the exact same thing he was.

"I can tell by the look on your face that you're wanting to get to the point, but first I think we need to ditch the small audience we seem to have gathered back there."

"I agree," Gohan smiled and turned his head towards some bushes a ways behind him. "Alright Videl, I think you've heard enough! You can go now!"

"He's right kid, we'll tell you all about it when we're through!"

"How did they know I was here?!" Videl barked, assuming she had been well covered. Without saying another word except a few low pitched mumbles, she walked back towards the park a ways hoping the boys would think she was already heading back. She then snuck back over to where the boys were talking, and quickly found what she thought was a better hiding place. The boys remained silent, sensing Videl's Ki returning after faking her exit.

"I'm serious Videl, you better leave now!" Gohan said.

"If you don't then we're not going to continue this conversation, and we'll be right back where we started tomorrow morning!" Ryo added.

"Fine I'm going!" Videl growled in frustration, deciding spying wasn't worth the risk. She wanted this issue settled right that minute. "You guys better be getting along next time I see you though!"

The boys waited until Videl's Ki finally ventured a safe distance away for them before they restarted their conversation. "Okay…" Gohan began. "I meant to say this before, but I didn't really mean that I didn't trust you Ryo… Well I did, but I want to trust you. I really do, but you make it so hard! I've seen too many homicidal monsters bent on universal domination or destruction in my lifetime not to be cautious when someone as inhumanly strong as you just appears out of the blue. Not to mention that you seem to know about most of my encounters and adventures when by all means you shouldn't! I'm sorry, but that creeps me out a bit Ryo. My trip to Namek, and my fight with Cell aren't exactly common knowledge! You know all this information about me, yet I know diddlysquat about you! It's frustrating, and I'm sorry that made me blow my top and offend you. I felt kind of betrayed myself that you don't seem to trust me either, since you refuse to tell me anything about you…"

"That's not the reason I haven't told you about myself Gohan… It's because of reason's I can't control, otherwise I'd love to. I do know a lot about you, and that's how I know I can trust you. I made a promise to someone I respect like a father, and I won't dishonor him by telling those secrets before the appropriate time. I hope you can understand that…" Ryo sighed, and dug his butt into the grass in hopes of making himself more comfortable. Surprisingly, it worked. "I can see where you're coming from though. I put myself in your shoes recently, and saw that I would feel much the same way you do if I were in your shoes… I'll tell you what. I can't tell you everything about me now but… I'll let you ask me two questions, and I'll answer them truthfully. Two questions of any kind. Try to ask me about what you want to know the most. Does that sound fair to you?"

"It's a start," Gohan smiled. "Okay then… You know, I think I can find out most of what I want to know with two questions. Yeah, I can live with that for now. As for my first well… I need to know this before I go crazy! How exactly do you know so much about me? I mean about Cell and Frieza and everything."

"I was worried you were going to as that," Ryo sighed. "Well, a deal's a deal. So tell me Gohan, do you believe in the paranormal?"

"The paranormal? You mean like ghosts, and sprit worlds and stuff?"

"Well yes, but not that exactly. I'm talking more along the lines of a sixth sense… Or the minds eye as some like to call it?"

"You mean like psychic powers? Yeah I believe, I actually know a couple people who have minimal psychic abilities like my friend…" Gohan stopped in mid-sentence when he realized what Ryo was suggesting. "Are you trying to tell me you're psychic?!"

Ryo simply nodded his head. "Have been most of my life. They use to be normal visions, but ever since I was fourteen now it's more like an early detection system. I only seem to have visions anymore when something bad is soon to occur. That's why I just happened to show up in the knick of time when that ninja attacked Videl the other night. I was in the middle of a hamburger when the vision popped into my head. I only had like ten minutes before the attack actually happened. Sometimes I even have visions of things that are happening right at that moment in places far away from me, so my power is a little less reliable then it use to be. I see little things from time to time. Like that day in the gym when you yanked that chin-up bar out of the wall."

"That's right you did warn me about that… And I thought you were only joking!" Gohan laughed. "That would explain how you knew to warn me about Rico, and that illegal gun deal at the warehouse down town! Damn, that really does explain a lot…"

"Yep. I've been having visions about you for years Son Gohan. I knew we'd be destined to meet someday. That's why I studied you rather hard on that first day of school, I wanted to make sure it was you. I hadn't really seen any visions of you since Cell, but I had a feeling it was you the second I felt your Ki walk into that school. The strongest man on Earth does tend to stick out in a crowd when it comes to energy. I had a truckload of visions about Videl before I met her too. You guys are two of three people I got to know like the back of my hand before I even met any of you. It was like I was seeing visions of who my friends would be in the future before I even met them. I'll be honest with you, I've thought of my psychic sense as a curse for the longest time, but things like that are kind of cool."

Gohan wasn't sure whether to be impressed, amazed, or just plain freaked. In the end, he wound up exhibiting parts of all three. "Wow… Truthfully, the sound of that is rather creepy Ryo… Also, I really don't see why you consider your special power a curse, and not a blessing. Then again, I'm not a psychic, so I have no idea what that might be like. At least you won't have to be so secretive whenever you see there's going to be trouble. You can come right out and just tell me now, and that's definitely an advantage. To tell you the truth, I wasn't sure if I should take you seriously the first couple of times you warned me Videl might be in trouble. I'm glad I did now though, otherwise she might not be here today…"

"Since you put it that way, I guess seeing the future does have its advantages… Still, sometimes I wish I'd just wake up one morning at it would be gone, but the funny thing is that when I think about it I'd probably just wish I had it back… That's the way things usually seem to work out anyway. You know sometimes I think…" Ryo stopped talking, and smiled at Gohan. Gohan smiled back, sensing the same thing he had yet again. "She just doesn't know when to quit does she?"

Gohan rolled his head over to the side as far as he could without turning around. "What did we tell you Videl?!"

"We're serious! If you don't cease your ease dropping this instant, then we're going to drop everything and go home! This is your last warning!"

"Damn it! Okay, I'm going!" Videl barked, practically fuming as she stormed back towards the park. "How the hell do you keep catching me anyway?! You'd think you were psychic or something!"

Ryo and Gohan looked at each other, and couldn't help but laugh. They waited for Videl's Ki to leave the immediate area before Gohan restarted their conversation. "I guess she didn't sneak up on us in time to hear that part huh?"

"Ah, I prefer it that way. There's a reason I don't broadcast my sixth sense to the world now Gohan. Probably for the same reason you refuse to tell anyone you're half Sayian. You could probably guess what the results of revealing either one of our little secrets would be. People would either think we were freaks, or lunatics who belong inside some rubber walls somewhere wearing straight jackets! We'd be even more distant social outcasts then we already are now!"

"That's kind of hard to imagine…"

"Why is so hard to imagine?" Ryo scoffed. "People are fickle Gohan. Ordinary people are afraid of people who are different from them…"

"Hold on Ryo, that's not what I meant! I meant that I find it hard to believe our social standing could possibly get worse. I think most of our classmates already consider us as dorky as it gets."

"Like I care," Ryo snickered. "Let them think what they want. If they want to judge me without knowing me then they only succeed in proving me right."

"I suppose so… I guess considering the type of life you've lived, it's no wonder you think that way…" Gohan had a million different questions he wanted to ask the boy, but it didn't take him long to decided on one of them. There was one other thing he had to know, no question about it. "Alright then Ryo… I have one more question left right? I want you to tell me just who these Ray Lien are."

Ryo's face suddenly grew serious. His brow creased over his eyes, and he stood up prompting Gohan to do the same. This was a topic he just didn't feel like sitting down to discuss. "The Ray Lien are like nothing you've ever seen before, but then again just about every one is in a way. The Ray Lien are a band of assassins that dress and operate similar to the way ancient Japanese ninjas did back in old Japan, except the Ray Lien make them look like nothing more then babies in desperate need of potty training! Details of their history are sketchy, and it's unknown where and how they originated. Where they operate is also unknown, and they gather the lowliest of life from different planets all across the universe to fill their ranks. Kings and leaders of planets all over this galaxy and others have called on them to take out their enemies, and they rarely fail. Even the one you called Frieza sought out their services on several occasions."

"But why are they here then? Who sent them?"

"Those are two things I'd like to know myself…" Ryo sighed. "My special power isn't perfect, and it has dulled from what it was when I was younger. At this present time I haven't had any visions, or any other clues that might tell me who sent them here. I have theories as to why they're here, but no solid proof to convince me completely however."

"But why would they go after Videl then?" Gohan frowned. "Not to mention why they targeted me, or Vegeta… I don't know if you know who he is or not, but he's kind of sort of a friend of mine I guess…"

"Yeah, I know who Vegeta is," Ryo smiled. "As to why the Ray Lien targeted you two, I'm fairly sure I can answer that one. The Ray Lien have been known to take jobs where they help out a group that's trying to take over another planet. Though they don't participate in the invasion itself, they help out by assassinating the leaders or strongest warriors on that planet. That way the invading force has little if any opposition when they invade. That's why they went after you and Vegeta, since you two are the strongest beings on this planet. However, considering the look on Syro's face when you went Super Sayian, I'd say they sorely underestimated you."

"Now I wouldn't be to sure about that Ryo… That Syro was strong, but like most everyone he wasn't any match for me once I went Super Sayian. If I hadn't, he might've had a shot at defeating me. If the Ray Lien truly weren't aware that Super Sayian's actually existed, then the oversight is understandable."

"You have a point there," Ryo admitted. "Guess I forgot to consider that."

"So are all the Ray Lien that strong, or is there a difference?"

"Like you wouldn't believe," Ryo grinned. "They actually have several different classes of warriors, based on individual strength. You can tell what rank a Ray Lien is by the color of their Gi. They start off wearing pink when they're rookies or level one. Riego was just a level one Ray Lien, which was why I defeated him with relative ease. That's also why they sent him after Videl. Though she's strong for a human, she's otherwise relatively weak in the grand scheme of things so they figured a level one should be enough to handle her. It goes up from there to level two which is yellow, three red, four green, and five blue such as Syro was. Technically, I guess they did send one of their strongest fighters after you."

"If Syro was as strong as they get, then I don't think we'll have much of a problem handling them," Gohan boasted.

"Not so fast Gohan. Remember that you let your guard down back there, and Riego still managed to get the jump on you despite the tremendous difference in your power levels. These guys don't like to fight head on, and they prefer to sneak up on you. Not only that, but it is rumored that there is even a higher class than the blue ninjas. I'm not sure whether it's true or not, but I've also heard that there is an orange class of Ray Lien whose members are incredibly powerful. If the rumor is true, then it is told that only several Ray Lien in their long history have achieved this level, and they may even be as powerful as you."

"I'll keep that in mind… So, you have no real clue to who might have sent these guys here?"

"None whatsoever…" Ryo groaned. "What I do know is that we need to take this situation seriously. Something big is in the works, and I'm wagering it'll all come to surface sooner then later. You might want to tell Vegeta, and any of your other friends that might be able to help about what's going on. And keep your head up too. Just because the Ray Lien fail to hit their target, don't think they're just going to give up and quit because of it. They guarantee results in their contracts, and they'll keep coming after you until the job is done. I know you and Vegeta can take care of yourselves, but we need to keep an eye on Videl to make sure she stays safe."

Gohan's face stiffened at the thought of this. "Understood. You better be careful to... I can imagine they'd be after you to."

"Actually, I rather doubt that. I can't see any reason why I'd be a target."

"Well I can," Gohan argued. "You said they're after the strongest fighters on Earth, and you're one of them. I can only imagine they'd be after you as well."

"You might be right… That is if they knew about me, but I can't imagine how they would. You see, you and Vegeta fought in the Cell Games effectively exposing yourselves, and allowing the Ray Lien a chance to scout you. Well, maybe scout is bad choice of words. If they were doing that they would've known about the Super Sayian thing. Let's just say they'd know who you are, and most of what you could do. To this point I haven't done anything to expose myself to the public eye, so I don't believe that the Ray Lien even know I exist yet. If they did I most certainly would be a target, but…" Ryo paused as a thought crossed his mind. 

"Is something wrong Ryo?"

"Oh, it's nothing… It's just that I had a thought, and the Ray Lien might actually know who I am after all…" Ryo knew Gohan would ask him why, but he couldn't answer him right now. That would be revealing more to him then he wanted Gohan to know at that time. It was his Sensei's orders after all. Wait a second… Maybe they're not after Videl because she's Hercule's daughter. She doesn't pose much of a threat to them at her current level, so it really doesn't make any sense that they'd place a mark on her. Unless they knew something else about her they shouldn't know… If that's the case, they must know who I am as well…

"Why do you think they might be after you now?" Gohan asked, tearing Ryo away from his thoughts.

"Hey, hey, I told you two questions now, and I've answered almost half a dozen. Don't push your luck Gohan," Ryo snickered. "I can't tell you that, or I might just give away something my Sensei doesn't want me to reveal just yet."

"So, you have a Sensei now?!" Gohan smirked. "Oh man, Vegeta was right! So, there is someone else running around Earth either as strong or stronger then you eh?"

Ryo didn't answer with words, just a smile. He searched for a good topic to switch to, and found it as his eyes shifted towards the brush at their backs. "Can you believe Videl's nerve spying on us like that. Who does she think she is anyway?" Ryo asked rather loudly.

"I don't know, but she sure can be irritating at times," Gohan said with a smile, following Ryo's lead. 

"What are we going to do with her?" Ryo asked, as they headed off towards the park. 

"I hate to break it to you Ryo, but we're stuck with her. No one else is going to claim her, that's for sure."

"Now wait just one second you backstabbing traitors!" Videl screeched as she popped up from the row of bushes she was hiding behind. "Talking about me behind my back huh?! I have half a mind to…"

Videl paused and blushed as Ryo and Gohan glared back at her, grinning like idiots. "Well, looky here. And pop goes the weasel!"

Gohan shook his head in disappointment. "Tsk, tsk, tsk Videl. Really now, spying on us? Aren't you ashamed of yourself?"

Videl's brow creased over her eyes. How the hell did they keep finding her out anyway?! She practically crawled in on her belly this time! "I hate you two!"

The trio headed back towards the bulk of the park with Videl growing frustrated that she couldn't get a straight answer regarding what they had talked about from either boy. Ryo had strayed away purposely, following behind his two friends trying not to chuckle as Videl continued to grill Gohan. Finally the girl seemed to grow tired of her interrogation.

"So, you're not going to tell me anything huh?" Videl grumbled. "Fine, I guess I can live with that as long as you two are cool now. So… Your really not going to tell me what you guys talked about?"

"Nope. That's for us to know, and you to stand there and wonder about."

Videl frowned at first, but eventually broke out into light giggles. Without realizing it, they wandered back into the center of the park, and in the midst of other living people. Two of them were a pair of young teenagers they both knew quite well. Namely, Sharpner and Erasa who took notice of Gohan and Videl walking and laughing, and seeming rather content together. 

"Hey, isn't that Gohan and Videl?" Erasa smiled. "They sure seem to spend a lot of time together."

"I noticed…" Sharpner grumbled. "Eck, they disgust me! Friends by butt… She should be spending her time with me, not that scrawny spiky-headed dork!"

"Hey isn't that Erasa?" Videl began cheerfully until she noticed the boy standing next to her and grumbled the rest. "And Sharpner…" 

"Gee, don't seem too thrilled now Videl," Gohan chuckled, as he started over to them assuming her answer would be yes. "Should we say hi to them?"

Videl smiled evilly, and pulled Gohan back to her side by his arm. "No… I have a better idea. I still owe Sharpner a little more then a fat lip for that kiss he laid on me the other day. I still have that nasty taste in my mouth! Yuck!"

"What did you have… in mind?" Gohan stammered as Videl's arms wrapped around his waist. "Vi… Videl?"

Videl's smile grew more twisted. "We're just going to piss him off a bit. Just stay cool, and play along okay?" 

"Kay…" Gohan murmured, as Videl rested her head on his chest and rolled it across it slowly. He was blushing like an overripe tomato by the time her hands started to wander further up his back.

Meanwhile, Sharpner's jaw was practically in the grass as he looked on. Erasa squeaked something that bordered along the lines of whoa. "Would you look at that. I always thought there was something going on between those two! And to think she lied to me when she said nothing was going on between them! I thought we were friends?!"

"I know what she's doing! She's trying to rub it in my face, that's what they're doing! Well, if she thinks I'm going to stand here and watch this, she's got another thing coming! I don't have to take this, let's get out of here Erasa!" Sharpner grabbed Erasa by the arm, and proceeded to drag her away.

"Sharpner wait! I want to watch this!"

Videl had put on a convincing enough show to trick Erasa and Sharpner, but it may have been too good because now she was confusing Gohan as well. To use the most decent term possible he was getting rather hot as Videl's hands stroked him. Videl herself might have been getting carried away. She'd started innocently enough, but by now each movement of her hands became much slower and more deliberate, almost sensual in a way. She even snuck her hand up his shirt, which somehow had gotten un-tucked, touching his bare skin. Gohan practically had to bite down on his own tongue to keep from hollering out loud. Videl lifted her forehead off his chest only to lean up on her tiptoes, rubbing her cheek against his chin slightly, and brushing one of her ponytails across his face. Gohan barely even noticed it. "Um… Vi… Vi… Videl…"

"Yes…" Videl hummed almost seductively, as she looked up at him. Their eyes locked, and all of the sudden her body forgot how to move. They both blushed and stared the other down for a brief moment, finding their lips dangerously close to one another's for the second time. "What is it?…"

Gohan absently pointed in the direction Sharpner and Erasa had been standing. "They're gone…"

Videl shot her head to her right, and sure enough they were nowhere in sight. Videl quickly let go of Gohan, and they both stood at attention in front of one another, faces glowing shades of red not found in the rainbow. "So, I see… Oh… I'm sorry about that…"

"Sorry about what?" Gohan asked nervously but innocently. Realizing what he'd just said, instead of blushing he smiled halfheartedly.

Videl looked towards the ground, wearing a slight grin of her own. "I guess nothing… Um… Well…. I guess…"

"Look, I think I'm going to take a quick walk, I'll be right back." Gohan hastily scooted away before Videl could answer. He only walked for about a minute cycling through some of his thoughts. Cool down Gohan! Bad boy, just settle down! She was only playing a joke a Sharpner, but… Did she have to touch me like that! If I had hair on my chest it would be standing on in by now! She seemed a little embarrassed about what she did, maybe she got caught up in the moment… Or maybe she meant something else by it… Maybe I should ask her?

What the hell was I doing?! I enjoyed that way too much! Then again, he didn't seem to mind much either… Maybe he liked it to?… Ah, who am I kidding?! I told him it was all a prank on Sharpner! He's too dense to pick up a direct hint, so do I actually believe he'll pick up on that! Get real Videl?! Videl was snapped out of her thoughts by a growling sound coming from behind her.

"Grrrrr! What was that all about?"

"Don't even start with me Ryo?!"

"Too late! You sure seemed to enjoy yourself, did I miss something while I was MIA the last week or so?"

Videl groaned, and rolled her eyes. "No, you didn't miss anything Ryo, that wasn't what it seemed!"

Gohan had decided to approach Videl with his rather odd question, for him anyway, when he noticed her talking with Ryo. His sensitive Sayian hearing picked up on her last comment, and he decided to stand back a moment and listen in on what she was saying.

"It was only a prank to get under Sharpner's skin! There wasn't anything serious about it!"

"You looked pretty serious to me," Gohan heard Ryo tease. 

"It was an act Ryo! That's all it was! It meant nothing to me! Gohan and I are just friends Ryo, despite what you want to think! I don't have any feelings for him other then that, now get over it!"

Gohan cringed, and decided he had heard enough. He walked away slowly, hoping Videl and Ryo wouldn't notice him, disappointment clear on his face. Man, how stupid am I?! I knew it was just a prank, so why did I let my mind wander?… Yeah, like she'd really like me… You heard her, that was as enthusiastic of a no as I've ever heard! I think I'll just go home, and let them figure out where I went…

"I don't like him… That idea's so absurd! Him or any other guy for that matter!" Videl stammered, getting less convincing the longer she rambled. She looked rather nervous, uncharacteristic for her, as she peered at Ryo through the corner of her eye. The look he was giving her wasn't helping all that much either. His mouth was stuck in a straight line, neither smiling nor frowning in the least, and he had one eyebrow cocked over his half-shut eyelids. She expected him to come at her with some sort of witty or smart ass remark like she was used to from him, but instead he kept his reply simple.

"Yeah right."

Videl's bottom lip quivered, and she whimpered slightly. She wasn't fooling Ryo, so what was the point in trying anymore? She plopped down on her butt, sitting Native-American style, crossing her arms against her chest as she frowned. "Is it really that obvious?"

"Are you kidding Videl?! The only way you could be more obvious about it is if you hung a sign around your neck with *I love Gohan* scribbled across it!" Ryo joked, now that Videl's guard was down. 

"If I'm so obvious then how come Gohan hasn't noticed," Videl mumbled low enough that she assumed Ryo couldn't hear.

"Because Gohan's a naïve idiot who's probably confused as hell for the same reasons you are," Ryo whispered back to her. 

Videl jumped slightly, surprised that Ryo had heard her. She then looked all around her to make sure Gohan was nowhere in sight. "Wh… Where did Gohan go? If we have to talk about this, then I rather it not be where he can hear us!"

"At least that's a start. Gohan probably went on home. I heard him say something about his mother wanting him back home at a certain time for dinner." Ryo lied. He had known Gohan was in earshot, and assumed he must've heard everything Videl had said and took off afterwards. He decided to cover for his friend to avoid Videl getting angry or suspicious with him. "You've meet Chi-Chi, so you should know she's not someone you disobey without there being grave consequences."

"I guess I can believe that," Videl smiled then frowned slightly. "He still should've said good-bye though. That's good I guess, I'm always looking for reasons to be mad at him."

Ryo laughed at this. "So… Do you want to talk about it? Maybe I can help you out. You can trust me, I swear whatever you tell me will be in confidence, and it will never leave my lips."

Videl blushed and grimaced at the ground. "What do you want to know?"

"For starters, when did this all start?"

"I don't know!" Videl groaned, and hid her face in her hands. "A few months ago after he brought back my locket… Maybe even a little bit before that. I'll admit that I always thought he was cute, but not until then did I really start to feel anything towards him. I thought it was just strong admiration and friendship at first, but after a while… I started to compare what I felt for him and how I felt towards you for example, no offense Ryo, but they were completely different…"

"None taken," Ryo smiled wide.

"I don't know what happened… He's just so different from anybody else I ever met. He was so nice to me, and not just faking it because of the Satan in front of my name, he really meant it. AGH! What the hell is wrong with me?! I've never been afraid of anything or anyone like this before! I like it all, and I hate it at the same time! I can't stop thinking about him, and whenever I'm around him…" Videl blushed, and continued to ramble. "Well, maybe it's better if I don't go into that part right now… I feel so pathetic! Like some whisy-washy schoolgirl afraid the cute boy she likes doesn't like her! Yuck! I've just never felt this way before, and I just don't seem to know how to handle it…"

"It's nothing to be ashamed of Videl," Ryo said softly, as he placed his hand on her shoulder. "Most of us fall in love at one point or another, and we all have are different ways of handling it…"

"Whoa, don't go there!" Videl said, knocking Ryo's hand off her shoulder. "I said I like Gohan, I'm not ready to talk about all that love stuff. I'm not quite that far yet…"

"Don't be too sure about that Videl. Judging from what you've been telling me, you're way past that *like* stage. Trust me, I went through the same thing you are a few years back… I know what the feelings like."

"You do?…" Videl asked quietly.

"Yeah… That constant cramping feeling in your stomach, and the nerves keeping you awake at night leaving you to wonder if she could ever really feel that same way about you or not. That deep-seated feel of emptiness inside your chest when it seems like she doesn't, or that she's just leading you on. The constant nagging thought that maybe if you had done something different, what might things be like now? Or how when you get close to him, oh so close, that you almost lose complete control of your mind and body… Does that about sum it up Videl?"

Videl just nodded her head somewhat timidly. "So maybe you do what you're talking about…"

"Yeah, I do," Ryo sighed. "At least you have the chance to see Gohan everyday, so there's always that opportunity to make something happen. Even if nothing does happen between you, at least he's still around and he's your friend. That's better then nothing… My heart and myself are many miles apart, and have been for what's felt like forever now. That's why you have to be careful when you give your heart away, because it isn't yours to just take back whenever you want to anymore. I myself was choosey, and I don't regret losing it. Maybe it'll work out of me one day, or maybe she'll finally decide to give it back. All I can do for right now is wait and hope."

Videl glared at him, almost looking impressed. "You better be careful Ryo. You almost sound like a romantic."

"That's not something I'm ashamed of," Ryo chuckled proudly. "So, what are you going to do now?"

"I haven't decided yet," Videl muttered. "You're a guy, and you know Gohan pretty well. What could I do to grab his attention if I wanted to…"

"You could do it the old fashion way and tell him!" Ryo snipped at her. "But then again, I could say the same thing to him. You guys seem to enjoy doing things the hard way. To tell you the honest truth you should just be yourself. He seems to like you just fine the way you are."

"That's good because that's all he's going to get! I'm not about to change for anyone!… Now that I think about it, I might just have a good plan to go about this after all…"

Ryo was intrigued by the wicked smile that crossed Videl's lips. "Oh really? You mind letting me in on it?" 

"No, this is none of your business!" Videl snorted. "Unless you give me some information in return of course."

"Uh… What did you have in mind?" Ryo gulped, fearing he knew exactly what was coming.

Videl's smile was evil as ever. "What's her name?"

Ryo's face lit up like a Christmas tree, and he fidgeted just a bit. "How is that relevant?… I mean, why do you have to know that?!"

"Because I want to know what her name is?! What's the big deal anyway?! All you have to do is tell me your girlfriends name, and I'll tell you my plan."

"If it's no big deal, they why do you want to know?! And she's not my girlfriend! And I can't tell you because… Well, maybe tomorrow! I need to think this over…"

"Well okay, but I don't see what you need to think over. It's just a name Ryo! It's not like I'm asking you to go propose marriage to her or something! Fine then, you think it over if you must. You give me the name tomorrow, and I'll let you in on my plan. It's a good one too, so you might want to ante up. It's extremely evil, and I'm going to make sure Gohan suffers. I'll teach him to play dumb with me!"

"Really now…" Ryo grinned, his interest already peaked. "I like it already."

End.

-I really struggled with the beginning of this chapter. I just couldn't plot out a decent way to lead up to the scene in the park, so and winged it. Hope it wasn't too painful to read. I'll try to get the next chapter out sooner, but I'm not making any promises. I don't expect my little distraction to soak up too much time. Truthfully I have been working on another story during the weekends that takes away some my time as well. Now if you'll excuse me I have to go take some pictures of dead people. I'm not into video games much, but every once in a while I'll skim across one that interests me. It's called Fatal Frame for PS2, and I highly recommend it for anyone looking for something different or like's scary crap. I'd suggest you don't play it alone though. I can usually sit through a scary movie and laugh myself to sleep at how unrealistic and corny they are, but this thing scares the piss out of me! Well, that's all I have to say for now. Bye-bye!

__

Chapter 11 preview! Videl begins her training for the Tenkaichi Budokai, and it just happens to be her birthday! I've been reading "Secrets" by Enchantress101 just like most everybody else, and I almost considered skipping this chapter after reading the last couple in her story. It's nothing like hers at all, it was just the timing of if all that concerned me. Ah heck, she works a lot faster then me, and she'll probably be way along with her story by the time I get around to my next chapter anyway, so I don't know what I'm worried about! Anyhow, Videl's father has her stuck in a little party he's arranged for her, and of course he two best friends were left off the guest list. While she hunts for a way to escape, Gohan's busy rummaging her up a present that money literally can't buy. I bet you can't guess what it is! Go ahead, give it a shot! I might have to think of some kind of prize if somebody actually does. I'll give you a hint, it's something a guy offers a girl to impress her all the time, but it's something he could never really give her. Well good luck, and so long until next time!


	11. Chapter 11

-Howdy! I'm proud to say that my heads back into this thing! I do think this is my best chapter yet so far… I know that's not really saying much, but I was really into it while I was writing most of it. I am going to try my best to update every weekend from this point on, but I'm not making any promises. I can't control life, or the little bumps that pop up along the way. Well, read on, and I hope you enjoy it!

Chapter 11

"HA! YAH!" Videl grunted as she kicked at her training bag, showing the inanimate object no mercy. Gohan watched her with fascination. Something about watching her fight, or even just training did something to him. Let's just say it had the same effect on him that Master Roshi got reading a playboy. The way her arms and legs flowed as she attacked the bag, her technique was almost flawless. He couldn't believe her father actually taught her most everything she knew! Maybe the old fool knew a thing or two after all, that or Videl was sneaking lessons from somewhere else on the side. Gohan was leaning towards the later. Oh yeah, and her butt looked rather nice in the tight sweaty shorts she was wearing. He'd noticed that too of course. Ryo on the other hand, wasn't nearly as into it as Gohan, and in fact looked almost bored. His eyes were half shut, as he failed to stifle a yawn.

"How long have we been here Gohan?"

"I don't know… About twenty minutes or so…"

"Well, she must be pretty in to that bag then, because she hasn't even noticed we're here yet!" Ryo grumbled. "Are you going to tell her what you came here to say, or are you just going to stand there and drool all afternoon?!"

Gohan covered his mouth quickly. "I'm not drooling!"

"Yeah right…Or maybe you didn't notice since you seem to be hypnotized by her ass, or is there some other reason you've been staring at it since we got here!"

"You don't know what you're talking about?!" Gohan yelped, as his face turned fifteen different shades of red. 

"Oh really, because that's not what your face just said," Ryo jeered. "I'm fairly sure that red isn't your natural skin pigment. Now are you going to tell her, or am I going to have to ask her to turn around so she'll stop distracting you?!"

"Okay, okay, I'll do it!"

"HI-YAH!" Videl growled, as she kicked at the bag again. She readied her leg for another kick when she felt the presence of two large shadows surround her. She relaxed her muscles, and smiled as her friends appeared in front of her. "Hey guys. What are you two doing here?"

"We were looking for you Videl," Gohan smiled. "You've been locked up in the gym everyday for almost a week now! You must be working pretty hard huh?"

"I have to," Videl sighed, as she rubbed at a sore spot on her right arm. "The Tenkaichi Budokai is only a few weeks away, and I want to make sure I'm at my best! You know a female has never won this tournament as far as I know, and I'd love to be the first. Now did you have some particular reason for wanting to find me?…"

"Well, for one we wanted to wish you a happy birthday!" Ryo answered for Gohan. "That, and Gohan here has something he wants to ask you."

Gohan stammered slightly, and blushed as he looked at the ground. Ryo had to poke him in the side with his elbow before Gohan got the point to get a move on with it. "Well, we were just thinking since it's your birthday and all, we'd like to do something special for you if you have time tonight…"

"Oh jeez, I forget!" Videl grumbled dejectedly. "I'm sorry guys, but my dad's set up some sort of ridiculous birthday party for me tonight… This is one of those four or five times a year my dad decides he needs to be a father…"

Ryo and Gohan looked at each other each wearing a slight frown. "Birthday party?"

"Funny, I don't remember being invited," Ryo snickered slightly.

"I know, that's why I never told you guys," Videl lowered her head, a bit ashamed of what she had to say next. "Remember, this is my dad's idea, and he doesn't want any guys at my party. Except he invited Sharpner… I don't even want to get started on that! At least Erasa will be coming… Aside from her I'd just assume lock the rest of them in the basement, and fill it with water!"

Gohan laughed at this, while Ryo just smiled. "Poor Videl… I guess we won't be seeing you tonight after all then."

"No, you guys stand by…" Videl told them, as a plan developed in her head. "I plan to blow that party before the night's over, and I'll meet you guys later tonight. How does that sound?"

"Sounds good to me!" Gohan said. "It's a good thing too, I have a special present for you tonight too. I'd really hate for you to miss out on it."

"Oh really…" A hint of curiosity twinkled in Videl's eyes. "You know, if you're really worried about it, you can give it to me right now."

"Sorry, but I can't do that. I don't quite have it on me right now, I'm afraid it would be too much of a load on me. I still have one or two more things I need to take care of, but I promise I'll have it ready by tonight."

"Okay… You've got me curious Gohan. This better be good though, if I'm going to the trouble of sneaking out of the house."

"Oh trust me, it's good," Gohan boasted. "I think you'll like it. I'll give you a hint. It's something a lot of guys offer a girl, but can never really give them. Well, I think we'll go now, and leave you to your training. Hopefully, I'll see you later tonight. So long for now Videl!"

"Bye guys," Videl wished, as she returned her focus to the training bag.

"Don't work yourself too hard," Ryo said, as he watched her attack the bag. "I guess your training habits aren't my concern, as long as you're not picturing my face on that bag that is."

Videl paused a moment before grinning evilly. "You know that's a good idea." Videl started to kick at the bag harder.

Ryo face faulted in jest, while Gohan simply laughed. "Come on Gohan, let's get out of here before she turns on us!"

Long after Gohan and Ryo had made their exit, Videl was still flushed as she continued to train. She couldn't help but wonder just what Gohan had in mind for her birthday. Something a guy offers a girl all the time, but can never really give them… I wonder what he's talking about? Videl grinned slightly. Maybe he's going to offer you his heart Videl? Nah, of course not, but it's cute to imagine. I wonder what he really has in mind though? Damn you Gohan, you're going to have me thinking about this all day!"

********

"So, are you going to tell me what you're going to give Videl for her birthday or not?!" Ryo shouted through the howling wind slapping him in the face.

"I promise I'll tell you a little later, right now I have something else in mind!" Gohan sped up a little, anxious to arrive at the undisclosed location he picked out a couple days earlier. It was nice and quiet there, and besides a few small woodland creatures they should have the place relatively to themselves. Gohan looked down at Ryo, and frowned when he saw the boy flying up next to him grinning at him like he knew Gohan was trying to out fly him. Gohan only grinned himself in reply though. This day was all about competition after all.

"So, where are we going?!"

"You'll see when we get there!"

With an ear-shattering burst of speed, Gohan blasted off into the distance sky. He faintly heard Ryo calling out to him to wait up, as he quickly sped up to catch up with him. They touched down in a small clearing not very long afterwards. Ryo looked around, admiring the rather eye pleasing scenery around him. It was a rather deserted clearing with no trees, or much plant life at all, aside from the grass, anywhere within 100 feet of them. Besides a few mountains at their back, a few wildflowers, and the two of them were it. Ryo had an idea to what Gohan was up to, but he wasn't completely sure. Now he had enough info to put two and two together, and he was sure of what the Demi-Sayian was up to.

"So, do you have a particular reason for dragging me out to the middle of nowhere Gohan?"

Gohan grinned at him. "You're the psychic, you tell me."

Ryo crossed his arms, and half frowned. "I can't see my own future Gohan. That's not the way it works."

Gohan face faulted. "You can't?!… I guess you don't know why I brought you here then hey?"

"I have an idea," Ryo smirked. "Unless there's another reason you're raising your Ki right now."

Gohan returned a smirk of his own. "Now you've got the idea. I'm interested in seeing just how strong you really are."

"So you're looking for a spar then?" Ryo assumed, as he began to power up himself. "I guess I'm game for that. This was bound to happen sooner or later anyway."

"Is that all you've got?" Gohan asked, unimpressed with Ryo's initial power surge. "I know you're stronger then that Ryo, stop playing around! I want a decent fight here, so don't hold back anything understand?"

"If you insist."

Ryo closed his eyes, and concentrated all of his energy. Gohan watched with interest as Ryo's body began to spark slightly, but then suddenly exploded in a stunning purple array. Gohan backed up a little, not from the enormous exertion of energy, but more out of surprise at how much he released. He had originally compared Ryo's energy to that of Vegeta's upon his arrival on Earth all those years ago, but now it was clear that he was much stronger then that. It was ironic when he thought about it really. How strong Vegeta seemed to be at that time, and how hopeless their prospects of defeating him seemed. It was funny to think that if Vegeta had shown up on Earth now at the same Ki level, that now Krillen or Tien probably would've been strong enough to defeat him. Gohan or Goku could literally have squashed him underneath their little fingers. It was amazing to think how far they all had come over the years.

"That's more like it." Gohan grinned, and took a fighting stance. Ryo did the same, and a moment or two later something somewhere exploded.

They engaged each other, releasing a massive wave of energy as they collided, strong enough to cause the ground below their feet to shake slightly. If anyone had been there to watch them all they would've seen were two blurs going at each other. In reality those blurs were punching and kicking at each other like there was no tomorrow, holding nothing back as they both agreed to do. The surge of Gohan's Sayian blood caused him to smile. Though he hated to admit it, that part of his heritage still loved a good fight, and it was nice to know that for once that good fight didn't involve the fate of the world hanging in the balance. Just two people testing each other's strength. Neither boy landed much of anything as for several minutes numerous swings of legs and fists were met with blocks, or avoided all together. Something had to give sooner or later, and finally it did. An arrant punch by Ryo caught Gohan in the face. Agitated that Ryo actually had the nerve to land a punch, Gohan stepped up his offensive and managed to catch Ryo in the gut with his knee. Ryo recovered quickly and moved his head to the side just centimeters away, and a split second before Gohan's fist slammed into it. Determined to capitalize, Gohan aimed a kick for Ryo's torso but the boy surprised him by phasing out. Gohan was stunned at first thinking that there was no way Ryo could be faster then him, but quickly shook that off as he felt Ryo reappear in the air above him. Gohan avoided Ryo's fist, and that left Ryo wide open for Gohan to drive his fist right into Ryo's gut. Gohan threw another kick, but once again Ryo avoided it, this time by twirling out of the way and back flipping into the air. Gohan quickly followed after him, but Ryo was more then prepared to greet him. Ryo met Gohan with his own punch to Gohan's abdomen, and followed up with a kick to the back of Gohan's head. The next sensation Gohan experienced was the feeling of his body plummeting towards the ground, and the taste of fresh grass and dirt in his mouth.

Gohan spit some dirt out of his mouth, and quickly kicked himself up to his feet. "So that's the way it's going to be huh?!"

Gohan smiled, and charged towards Ryo. Ryo's eyes widened at how fast Gohan was flying towards him, and barely had time to put his arms up to block, as Gohan's fist came flying towards his face. He kept it up for a while as Gohan pressed on his relentless attack, but eventually Gohan's aggression caught up with Ryo. Gohan caught Ryo in the face with a punch, then the gut, and another to his face knocking him backward, but he managed to keep his body hovering in the air. Realizing he'd need to step it up, Ryo charged towards Gohan this time taking him by surprise. Gohan managed to block everything Ryo threw at him in his latest flurry, but it was by no means getting any easier. Finally, both boys just reared back, and put almost everything they had into one punch. They both connected at almost the exact second, and they both were sent flying. Gohan managed to stop his fall before he hit the ground, and Ryo caught himself with his hands, and flipped back up into the air. Ryo mumbled something along the lines of *oh shit* when he saw Gohan was already streaking towards him. Ryo could do nothing but take Gohan's punch with his face, and the boy was driven backwards at least fifty feet. Ryo hit the ground with his back once before he gained control of his body, and pushed himself back up into the air. Gohan was already moving on him again so Ryo met him head on, and another wave of energy ripped through the air as they collided.

Before they knew it twenty minutes had passed. Gohan for one could care less as he was enjoying every second of this. He couldn't tell if Ryo was enjoying the fight as much as he was, but the boy didn't seem winded in the least nor did he back down one inch. The battle went back and forth several times, and to say Gohan was impressed with Ryo's fighting abilities would've been a severe understatement. He couldn't imagine how in the world a human could reach this sort of strength, but Gohan had his theories. There was also something very familiar about his fighting style that Gohan just couldn't quite put his finger on. Frighteningly similar, but Ryo was allowing Gohan little time to ponder the issue. He purposely avoided going Super Sayian fearing that Ryo wouldn't be able to handle the power increase. They were almost dead even now, and it became important to the Demi-Sayian, or more accurately the half-human side of him, to defeat Ryo without rising to that next level.

The fight had gotten much rougher from the original blocking display it had begun as. Apparently, both boys had gotten either impatient or wore down, but now they were landing more blows then they were blocking. Each blow was getting harder and more intense then the last, and little cuts were beginning to develop on their faces. 

Ryo growled as he doubled over in the air after Gohan had nailed him with a hard kick to his backside. Ryo quickly composed himself, and put a little surge into his ascent and delivering a punch into Gohan's gut. Gohan tried to straighten up, but Ryo was all over him in a heartbeat not allowing him a second to even catch his breath. Gohan's head spun around violently as Ryo's fist came in contact with Gohan's chin. Ryo then quickly phased out, and reappeared above him driving his foot into the middle of Gohan's back. Gohan cried out in pain, as he plummeted towards the ground. He gained control of his body about half way down, but pretended to continue freefalling as he summoned up his energy. Right before he hit the ground he quickly turned himself around, and as he expected Ryo was already chasing after him.

"Ka…me…ha…me…ha!" 

Ryo screeched to halt, and brought his arms up just in time to block Gohan's energy blast. To Ryo's surprise it was rather weak, barely succeeding in singing his elbows. Ryo relaxed his guard just in time to discover what Gohan had planned when his fist crashed into his face. Ryo soared upward doing barrel rolls in the air while he tried to steady himself. He finally managed to do just that, and watched as Gohan streaked towards him.

"So that's the way you want to play it huh?!" Ryo grinned, as he powered up an energy attack of his own. "Kayohata!"

"Oh no!" Gohan shouted, as the purple blast of Ki shot towards him. He tried to avoid it, but all he succeeded in doing was leaning into it, blasting him out of the sky. Gohan groaned in pain as he descended towards the ground, the after effects of Ryo's Ki blast still tingling throughout his body. The ground shook as he landed, creating a nice three-foot deep imprint of himself after he hit. Gohan picked himself out of the ground somewhat shaken, and he might've been better off staying down. As he stood upright, Ryo came swooping down nailing him in the face. Gohan was sent flying backwards, rolling over several times before painfully crashing to a stop. 

Feeding off of yet another surge of adrenaline, Gohan quickly scrambled back up to his feet and Ryo was quickly back on him. Gohan braced himself to block, but found it almost impossible. Ryo had worn him down enough that Gohan could no longer keep up with him. The first kick landed to his side, then one to his face, then a punch to his torso, and finally several more to his face. Gohan took to the air in hopes of escaping the assault, but Ryo wouldn't allow him to back up an inch. Gohan managed to block a few of Ryo's blows from his new vantage point, but most landed… He was getting dizzy, and the world around him was starting to spin out of control. He was fading out slowly, and slowing down to a crawl. He knew what was happening… If he didn't think of something quick he was going to lose this fight.

I'm losing… But I can't lose! I'm one of the last of the great Sayian race! I can't lose! I won't lose! Not to him or anybody else!  


Gohan shoved Ryo out of his face, and in a blinding display of light powered up into a Super Sayian. Ryo seemed slightly intimidated by Gohan's new look, but he refused to let that slow him down. He'd wondered why Gohan hadn't gone super already… He was definitely in trouble, but he wasn't about to quit now. His best chance would be to continue his assault and not allow Gohan to get his bearings straight. Easier said then done with a Super Sayian however. Gohan was now blocking everything Ryo threw at him with relative ease, and eventually gained the upper hand. However, Gohan grew frustrated that Ryo was still keeping up with him, and Ryo was shocked beyond belief himself that he was actually managing to keep up with Gohan in his Super Sayian form. Maybe he had improved more than he had thought over recent months. Then again, maybe his thoughts were too premature.

Ryo held his own for several minutes, but Gohan's new Super Sayian abilities proved way too much for him. Already weakened from an intense battle with Gohan in normal form, it wasn't long before Ryo began to ware down. He finally missed a block, and that was pretty much it. Gohan's fist connected with his face, and it hurt ten times worse then anything else Gohan had thrown at him to that point. Several more followed to the body and the face, as Ryo just couldn't ward them off anymore. Finally, Gohan reared back his fist, and sent Ryo flying and the boy didn't stop until he crashed into the base of a mountain some distance behind them. Gohan rushed over the rubble quickly, and readied himself to continue fighting once Ryo emerged. But a good twenty seconds passed, and he still hadn't come out. Realizing what he might've just done, Gohan's Sayian blood fizzled back into that of a human and he started to panic. "Oh Kami, what the hell did I do?!"

"Ryo, can you hear me?!" Gohan shouted out to him, as he landed at the base of the mountain. To his relief the ruble began to move, and Ryo came stumbling out. He groaned groggily, and dropped to his knees before noticing Gohan was only a few feet away from him. 

"Whoa, I yield, I yield!… I know when I'm licked! You win, I've had all I can take… I knew I wouldn't be able to stand up to you in Super Sayian form, but I had to try at least… I think I'll try to hit myself over the head with a sledgehammer for my next act. Same difference."

"Don't feel too bad Ryo," Gohan said, offering Ryo a hand to help him to his feet. "You know, if I didn't go Super Sayian at the last second you would've beaten me. I had to do it, it was almost out of desperation."

"Hey, that is right isn't it?" Ryo asked in astonishment, before an evil grin plastered across his face. "I should've won, but you cheated!"

"I didn't cheat!" Gohan laughed. "This is all part of my natural ability."

"Next time, I'd still like to try you one on one when you're a Super Sayian from the start though. I'd like to see how far I could go at full strength instead of being worn down like I was…"

"Now that I know I'd have too to beat you it's almost a given. Maybe I should even go SSJ2, and see how you handle yourself then?"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Ryo begged off with his hands. "Level one's enough for me, I'm not even about to try you at two! I don't have a death wish now!"

Gohan laughed at this. "Well, do you think you're okay to fly home? I did just knock you halfway through a mountain…"

"No, I think I'll be okay…" Ryo tried to take a step, but immediately started to stumble around in a daze. He put his hands on the side of his head, and sat down on a large rock that his body had pried lose from the mountain base. "Maybe it would do me some good to sit down for a minute… At least until everything stops spinning!"

"I think I have something that might help," Gohan said, as he powered down to his normal self. He pulled a small satchel out of his belt, and took out a small bean and handed it to Ryo. "This is a senzu bean. It will help bring your strength back."

"Hey, I've heard about these!" Ryo chirped, as he examined the foodstuff. That Corn guy grows these at his tower doesn't he?"

"That's Korrin Ryo!" Gohan chuckled, as Ryo plopped the bean in his mouth and started to chew. Gohan then grunted as a sharp pain shot through his back. "Now that I think about it, I should probably eat one too… My entire body hurts!"

Gohan sat down next to Ryo, and took out a bean for himself. Ryo had just finished swallowing his, and was already feeling the effects. He leapt to his feet at the sudden surge of newly replenished energy, and scanned his eyes all across his body like he had just sprouted leaves or something. "Whoa! Those things really work don't they?!"

"Sure do," Gohan grinned, as he felt the effects of his bean already kicking in.

"Ouch, I think I chipped a tooth though," Ryo complained, as he grabbed his jaw.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to," Gohan apologized.  


"I didn't mean by you, I meant the bean. That damn thing was hard as a rock!"

Gohan laughed at this, but soon that cheery smile turned into a distant glare into nothing. "Ryo… I'm sorry…"

"Sorry for what?" Ryo chuckled. "For kicking my butt? You won fair and square, there's nothing for you to be sorry about."

"Yes there is… I over did it, and I'm sorry." Gohan buried his face in his hands. "I promised myself I'd keep it under control!"

"Keep what under control?" Ryo asked, concern evident in his voice. "Is something wrong Gohan?"

"My… My Sayian instincts! I promised myself I'd never let them get out of control again… I become more Sayian then human…The last time I let that happen was when I fought Cell, and it cost my dad his life! I could've killed you, and all because my damn Sayian blood wouldn't let me lose a damn fight!"

Ryo placed a reassuring hand on Gohan's shoulder. "First of all, it's going to take a lot more then that to kill me Gohan. Second, you stopped yourself when you realized what you were doing. You could've easily attacked me again after I pulled myself out of that ruble, but instead you checked on my condition first. Most importantly, these Sayian instincts are a part of what you are Gohan. Yes, you need to keep them under control, but you shouldn't be ashamed of them by any means."

"Sometimes I wish I wasn't," Gohan said softly. "I'm worried I'm going to hurt somebody else I care about one of these days…"

"Don't say things like that Gohan! It's more likely to happen if you think that way all the time… Now, on to more cheerful matters!" Ryo switched the subject with a smile. "So, would you mind telling me now what you're getting Videl for her birthday?"

Gohan immediately perked up. This was her special day after all. He'd have plenty of time to mope, and hate himself later. "I guess I can actually… We need to get something first. Tell me Ryo, have you ever heard of the Dragon Balls?"

"Seven balls that hold the power of a dragon, and grant you any wish your heart desires," Ryo recited. "Yeah, I know exactly what they are, but what on Earth could you possibly be thinking of using them for?"

"You'll see when we get them," Gohan smiled. "That is if you don't mind helping me out. I already have four of them, so that only leaves three more to find. With a little help I should be able to track them down, and make my wish in time to see Videl tonight."

"Hmm… Sounds fun actually. Alright, let's go!"

"Thanks, I appreciate it," Gohan said, as he pulled a large round object from his belt.

"Man, do you have a sofa and a freezer tucked away in there too?" Ryo asked, commenting on all the interesting items Gohan seemed to be hiding in his belt that afternoon. "What is that thing anyway?"

"It's a Dragon Ball radar," Gohan told him, as he pressed down on the button at the top. "Cool, it looks like one of the balls isn't far from this location. Let's get a move on, we don't have all day."

"Wait a second! If you're in such a hurry to find these things, then what in the world made you think you had time to spar with me?!"

"Don't ask stupid questions, and let's just go!" 

"Hold up one second Gohan!" Ryo said before Gohan could take to the air. "There is one more thing I should mention… I think we should compete in the Tenkaichi Budokai next month…"

Gohan frowned slightly. "Huh? What for? There's not going to be anybody there worth fighting, it would almost be like a waste of our time."

"If you consider protecting Videl's livelihood a waste of time I guess you're right," Ryo stated simply but convincingly. Convincingly enough that Gohan's express did a complete 360.

"Then that's a different story… You really think she's in danger?"

Ryo nodded his head. "I've had a vision for the past three nights now… I can usually distinguish a vision from an actual dream, because when I have a vision it usually reoccurs several times. Not to mention how warped my normal dreams are. It looks like the Ray Lien are going to send a couple of their assassins to represent them at the tournament, only the championship belt isn't their top priority. At least one of them is after Videl, and if somebody doesn't prevent it then they're going to get the job done this time. I don't know who else they might be after, but I'm hoping that it will come to me in time."

"Let's hope so," Gohan agreed. "I guess it's settled then. I trust you're going to enter too. At least that'll make one person worth fighting… I do have one question for you though. You don't have to answer if you don't want to but… Are you human?"

Ryo snickered slightly. "Yes Gohan. I am human, trust me."

"Humph! Human my ass," Vegeta snickered, as he watched the boys take flight. They were so caught up in their little sparing match, they failed to notice the Prince of the Sayians had been there to witness more then half of it. He'd felt two enormous Ki's fire up, and then followed with what almost felt like a total Ki explosion. Of course, this interested Vegeta enough to prompt him to go out looking for the source of that huge energy build up. He wasn't all that surprised to find Gohan sparing with his friend. "I knew Gohan had been slacking off in these times of peace, but I can't believe he had to go Super to defeat a human! But then again, I'll admit his technique wasn't that bad… For a human, as he claims he is. I'm not too sure he's giving the boy the entire story… I've never met a human before who could reach that level of strength. Humph, if Gohan won't do it then I'll find out who that boy really is. Now that I know who he actually is, then that should make things a lot easier."

********

As she expected the party Hercule had arranged for his little girl was a total farce. She didn't even know half the guests there. The guests mostly consisted of the teenaged daughters of some of the local bigwigs Hercule wanted to stay in good standing with, and naturally most of them were air headed snobs who could only seem to talk about their hair, makeup, or what type of car they all drove. Videl wanted to puke. Erasa and Sharpner were the only two people present she even knew… And quite honestly she would've welcomed every single stranger in that house to stay the night as her personal guests, if her father would kick Sharpner the hell out. But there was no chance of that happening. Hercule really liked the boy for some reason. They'd been talking and laughing with each other like old school chums through most of the night, and the sight was making Videl's stomach churn. At least Erasa seemed to be fitting in with the rest of the crowd… That was a problem all in it's own, Videl only had patience for one Erasa. At least Erasa had some resemblance of a personality unlike the rest of these bimbos…

Videl grabbed Erasa's arm, and pulled her close so she could whisper into her ear. "I can't take it anymore! Erasa, you said you and Ryo had a plan to get me out of her, so I think it's about high time you get on with it! I'm about to go crazy from all the hairspray fumes…"

"Oh lighten up Videl! The party's not that bad! It's your birthday, live it up a little Videl!"

"I'll live it up alright… As soon as I'm out the door! Now do it!"

"Okay, okay! Party pooper…" Erasa rose to her feet, and coughed into her hand. "May I have your attention please? I have a special treat for all of you. I brought a tape a friend of mine lent me, featuring an exciting reenactment of Hercule's classic historic battle with Cell!"

A wave of ooh's and ah's came from the crowd, and a particularly excited Hercule bounced up from his seat. "Now we're talking! This party could use a little more entertainment! We can plop it in the VCR in the living room, and watch it on the big screen! Let's go everyone!"

"Whoa, that was impressive Earsa!" Videl said softly into Erasa's ear, as her father and the bimb… Girls filed into the living room. She faintly overheard her father yelling something to one of their servants about popcorn. "What you just said sounded very intelligent!"

"You think so?!" Erasa beamed. "I hoped it would. That's what Ryo told me to say after all…"

Videl sweat dropped. "I should've guessed… Well, I'm impressed you remembered anyway. This was a great idea! Dad will be so caught up in that stupid tape of himself he wouldn't notice an elephant sneaking through the front door, let alone notice I'm gone! I owe you one for this Erasa…"

"Don't thank me, it was mostly Ryo's idea," Erasa smiled, surprisingly not being one to take credit she didn't feel she deserved. "I just played along."

"You still were a big help. Now, you better hurry up and get that tape started, so I can get the hell out of here!"

"Videl!" Hercule growled from the living room. "And uh… Blonde girl! Hurry up, and let's get this show on the road!"

"You'd think he'd know my name by now!" Erasa pouted.

"Don't worry about it," Videl snickered. "Be glad he remembered you were even here."

Videl sat down on the floor, as close to the exit as she could possibly get, jerking around anxiously as she waited for Erasa to start the VCR. She growled as the girl continued to flirt with her father, but a few moments later finally hit the play button. The movie itself looked like it cost about five bucks to make, and four-fifty of it probably went to pay the horribly overpaid and desperate actors. Videl had owned cutout paper coloring books in her childhood that had better special effects. Of course her father and all the other airheads present were completely transfixed by it, hooting and hollering as Hercule pounded on Cell.

"Look at the fear in his eyes! Just like the actual fight, man this movie is realistic!" Hercule boasted, and patted on the empty seat next to him. "Hey Videl honey, why don't you sit down next to daddy and enjoy the show?!"

"Sure dad," Videl said, and promptly stood up and exited the living room. Of course Hercule was too transfixed on the TV to notice, as was everybody else.

"Look at me go!" Hercule growled, as he punched the air mimicking his movements on the TV. "Poor Cell. Now that I think about it he never did have a chance. This movie is so lifelike, I almost feel like I'm living it all over again!"

Hercule's mouth moved again, but closed back up slightly as the picture became slightly fuzzy and suddenly switched to an entirely different scene. Now the mountains in the background seemed real, considering that they weren't just some cheesy cardboard cutouts, and Cell suddenly appeared much more menacing and lifelike. The next thing everyone saw was Hercule running towards Cell, and then Cell just flicking his wrist and swatting Hercule away towards the distant mountains at his back.

"What the Hell?!" Hercule gaped.

"That's not the way it really happened did it?" Sharpner asked him, staring in shock at the screen.

"Umm… Of course not!" Hercule said after a brief pause, looking for a decent lie to explain this. "The director must've added that to make the fight scene more dramatic… Yeah, that's it! They don't want people to think I defeated Cell too easily… Wouldn't make for as good of a movie! Ah-ha!… Hah…"

The next shot switched to Hercule as he staggered around after bouncing off the mountain, little stars twirling above his head. "I don't want to go to school today mommy… I fell off the donkey, the hamster bit me, and the tractor ran over my head…" Hercule stammered, before falling face first into the dirt.

Hercule stared at the screen having what resembled a small nervous breakdown, while most the girls started to giggle. Hercule was not prepared for what they were about to view on that tape next… It cut to a bathroom scene with Hercule in the shower… Wearing a shower cap, holding a scrub brush, and showing way too much of his hind end for his and Sharpner's liking at least. And worst of all… He was singing. "You know I'm a ladies man, it's time to talk…Staying alive, staying alive. Ah, ah, ah ah staying alive… OWEEEEE!"

Hercule hit that last note with a girlish shriek, and everyone in the room aside from the man himself was rolling in the floor. "TURN IT OFF! TURN IT OFF NOW!"

Noticing the serious and somewhat threatening look on his face, Erasa stopped laughing and complied. That was easier said than done however. Erasa couldn't stop herself from giggling, and had to make several swipes with her finger before finally hitting the eject button. Hercule aggressively yanked the tape out of the VCR, threw it to the ground, and stomped on it until it was nothing but little plastic pieces scattered all over the floor. Erasa considered complaining when she remembered it wasn't her tape and how funny Hercule looked in the shower, and started to laugh again. 

"THAT IS NOT FUNNY KIDS!" Hercule growled, and everyone present immediately shut up. "This was obviously some kind of forgery. Some kind of novelty prank some brat cooked up to try to make me look like a fool! Where did you get this anyway blonde girl?!"

"It's Erasa, and I got it from a friend of mine… I don't know where he got it from though…"

"Well, I want to know who, and how many of these tapes he has! I want them all destroyed before he tarnishes my good name! Who would even believe this tape was legit anyway?! That body double didn't even look like me!"

"Right, and I bet you don't sing like a woman like that either, huh sir?" Sharpner added.

"No, of course not!" Hercule shot down, before even really taking in what the boy had said. He got kind of quiet and fought off a light blush when he did. "And I don't have that much hair on my butt either! Umm… Excuse me kids I gotta… Check on something real quick." Hercule shot off towards the bathroom to examine his rear end. 

"Finally, I thought I was never going to get out of there!" Videl sighed with relief as she escaped from the confines of her home. She immediately started to search for Ryo who was supposed to meet her once she was outside of the house. She waited a couple of minutes with still no sign of him until the sound of hysterical laughter caught her ear. She followed the sound around the house and towards one of the living room windows where she found her friend rolling around in the dirt, laughing hysterically as he held his gut. "Ryo, have you gone insane?"

"No, I'm fine," Ryo hummed, as he sat up and laughed. That look on Hercule's face when he saw himself in the shower was priceless.

"What's so funny anyway?"

"Let's just say I played a bit of a joke on your father," Ryo giggled, beginning to control himself a bit more efficiently. "Let's just say I edited that tape I gave Erasa just a bit…"

"I don't think I want to know," Videl muttered honestly.

"No, you're probably right…" Ryo giggled again. "Remind me to thank your butler James for lending me that priceless extra footage. You know, he's a pretty cool guy."

"That I'll agree with you on," Videl smiled. "Now, let's get the heck out of here, before my dad comes out here and finds us!"

Ryo complied with Videl's wishes, and they quickly moved away from the Satan household. Somewhere along the way Ryo handed Videl a mid-sized rectangular object, which was obviously a book of some sort, wrapped up in blue wrapping paper. Videl smirked, and shook it. "Gee, I wonder what this could be?"

Ryo grinned. "Yeah, I know I could've done a better job concealing it, but I didn't see the point. It's not much, but I'm kind of on a tight budget."

"Hey, that's no problem, I'm just happy when someone actually thinks of me," Videl said honestly, as she removed the wrapping paper. Her eyes widened a bit at the cover, then she smiled. "The history of the Tenkaichi Budokai?!"

"Yep, detailed excerpts on every tournament from the 1st to the twenty-fourth. It even has a small section towards the back dedicated to you winning the first junior tournament."  


"Cool…" Videl frowned slightly. "But you'd think they would've had to get my permission to use my name in a book… Oh well, my father probably gave them the go ahead without telling me. Thanks Ryo, I appreciate it."

"No problem…" Ryo smirked wildly. "But I'm afraid it will pale in comparison to what Gohan has planned for you."

"Really…" Videl's eyes gleamed with curiosity and excitement. "So you know what's he planning huh?"

"Yeah, I even helped him out a little. I had to warn him though that if he goes through with this now, it's going to be very hard to ever top himself after tonight."

"Hmm… It's that big huh?"

"About as big as it gets," Ryo said. "So, are you going to fill me in on what you have planned to catch Gohan's attention?"

"That depends." Videl smiled evilly. "Are you going to tell me her name?"

Ryo blushed, and turned his head. "I don't want to! But if you tell me… I guess I'll tell you her name… You have to go first though."

"Good, it's a deal then! My plan is going to sound rather simple at first, but it's more complicated then you might think. I'm going to try to make him jealous by telling him that I'm in love with somebody else."

"You're right, it does sound simple." Ryo face faulted after saying that. "Wait a second, you're not going to use me are you?!"

"Of course not! I have something much more evil in mind. I'm afraid I can't tell you who I'm going to use though… I'm sorry but you probably wouldn't know who I'm talking about, nor should I probably tell you."

"Oh, I think I'm catching on now." Ryo leaned over and whispered something into Videl's ear. 

Videl's eyes widened in shock. "How did you know?… I mean you know he's… How?!"

"Probably the same way you do," Ryo stated with a smile.

Videl smiled back at him, and accepted that explanation. "Fine then, I'll leave it at that for now… Because I have something else I want to hear right now. Now, give me her name Ryo!"

Ryo's face lit up like a Christmas tree, but he managed to stay somewhat composed. He took a deep breath, and finally gave the girl the information she so desired. It was her birthday after all… "Fine! It's… It's Amy Okay! Are you happy?!"

"Yeah I'm happy! Amy huh?" Videl teased in a singsong like voice, very uncharacteristic for her. Then again, she wasn't used to having friends she could tease like this. "I don't know any Amy's… So there goes that idea. Still, I think I need to look into this a little further… But I don't know where to start! Where did you say you used to live again?"

"That's all I'm going to say Videl!" Ryo growled, his face somehow developing two more shades of red. "Now, get your nose out of my Kool-Aid!" 

"Your Kool-Aid?!" Videl giggled. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?!"

"I don't know, it's something my sister used to tell me when I was trying to meddle in her business. I didn't bother asking questions."

"I see… So, what does she look like?"

"Drop it Videl! I've told you all you're going to know!"

********

"Ryo, where did you go?!" Videl shouted into the forest for apparently only the woodland creatures to hear. Ryo had led her into the woods supposedly to meet Gohan somewhere, but know her so-called friend was inconspicuous by his absence. "I can't believe he'd just ditch me like that! I don't know my way around this forest! When I find him I'm going to kick his dorky little ass!"

Videl heard some rustling in the brush behind her, and assuming it was Ryo, quickly turned around to bite his head off. She blushed as she noticed it was actually Gohan looking down at her, with a rather smug grin on his face. "Man, if looks could kill!"

"You were in on this weren't you?!" Videl barked at him. "I could've gotten lost out here you know! Wandering around aimlessly in the woods is not the way I wanted to spend my birthday!… Then again, it still would've been better than being stuck in my father's crappy party.

"Then what are you complaining about?! Besides, this little spot isn't very far from where I live. If you keep walking down the path Ryo left you on, it ends right at my house! However, ditching you wasn't part of the original plan. He was supposed to show you the way here, but I guess he has to be himself…"

"I suppose." A broad smirk crossed her lips. "Now, what's this gift you've been bragging about that's supposed to be so special? You've had me thinking about this all day, so it better be good!"

"What? You mean you haven't guessed already?!" Gohan laughed. 

  
Videl frowned in agitation. "What are you talking about Gohan?!"

"You'll see, come on!" Gohan took Videl by the hand without so much as a second thought, and proceeded to drag her behind him. Videl blushed slightly, but didn't protest in the least. She wondered if Gohan realized what he was doing. They didn't have to travel far, as Gohan stopped in front of a small lake. Gohan let go of her hand, and pointed towards the ground telling her to sit down. Videl complied, a slightly confused look still plastered on her face.

'So, what is it Gohan?" she asked, as he sat down next to her.  


"I still can't believe you haven't noticed already," Gohan chuckled.

"What's so funny?!" Videl snapped. "I don't have any idea what you wanted me to notice! What's up anyway?!"

"Why don't you look, and see for your self?" Gohan grinned, and pointed up at the sky.

Videl complied, and her jaw dropped at what she saw. Though she hadn't seen the thing since she was in kindergarten, she knew what it looked like from old movies and documentaries. Those old pictures couldn't compare to seeing the actual thing however. There hanging up in the sky was a bright orange nearly full moon, only a slight corner on the edge missing from view. "What the… The moon?! How the hell!… I thought it disappeared all those years ago…"

"It did," Gohan said cheerfully. "Happy birthday Videl. You said you wanted to see it one more time didn't you? Bright orange, and almost full like you wanted. It's kind of like it knows it's your birthday. Well, now you can see it every night if you want to!"

"What?…" Videl's eyes shifted from the moon to Gohan, starting at him in disbelief. "You can't possibly tell me you're responsible for that!"

"Actually, yeah I am," Gohan stated proudly. "What's the problem? You sound like you don't believe me."

"Of course I don't believe you! Are you trying to say you hung the moon Gohan?!"

"Well sort of…" Gohan rubbed at the back of his neck, a nervous habit inherited from his father. "I had a little help. Remember that day we talked about the Dragon Balls?"

"You mean that old fairytale?" Videl recalled. "Those things that summon a magical dragon that grants you a wish. Yeah, I remember you talking about it."

"Exactly, but it's not a fairytale Videl. They're real, and my family has used them several times when we've had to. That's what I did. I collected all the balls, and wished for the dragon to restore the moon. I'll have to admit, the sky's looked rather lonely without it."

Videl looked at him as if he was crazy. "Do you really expect me to believe that?"

Gohan's face looked a bit disappointed. "I'm being honest with you Videl. I know it's hard to believe, but I'm kind of hurt you don't believe me. Besides, think of it this way. Do you have a better idea to explain how it's back all of the sudden."

"You've got me there," Videl snickered, and looked back up at the moon. "Okay Gohan… Dragon Balls huh? I guess I believe you then…"

"So I'm taking it you like your present?" Gohan smiled, assuming that by the way she was gawking at it. "You know, I think I'm the first guy that's ever promised a girl the moon, and actually given it to her."

"Actually, I love it Gohan, but I don't think I can claim it as my own. It's for everybody to enjoy again now. Thank you anyway." Videl leaned over, and gave Gohan an enthusiastic hug that caused him to blush slightly. Videl separated from him, and lay down across the grass giggling like a lovesick schoolgirl.

"Man, you sure seem cheery this evening," Gohan observed happily. "I don't think it's just from my present either. What's got you so giddy?"

"Well…" Videl turned her away, and blushed pretending to be apprehensive and shy. "It has been a rather memorable day. You see I'm a little embarrassed to admit it but… I think I'm in love Gohan…"

Gohan felt a lump lodge itself in his throat. "In love?… Oh really… With who prey tell?"

"I don't know if I should tell you but… Okay, I guess I can trust you not to say anything. He's a guy I met a few months ago… I used to think he was annoying at first, but lately I've been looking at him in a whole new way… He's so amazing… He can seem kind of naïve at times, but he has the sweetest personality once you get to know him, and not to mention good looking to boot. He seems to be a pretty tough fighter as well…"

"Oh really?" Gohan stammered, trying not to let his mind wander. Get your head out of the toilet Gohan! She's not talking about you… Somebody that sounds an awful lot like you maybe, but don't let yourself think like that! You're just going to disappoint yourself!

"Yeah…" Videl sighed dreamily. "I tried not to fall for him, I really did, but he just does something to me. I tried to ignore it for the longest time, but now I realize that a chance like this might not come along a second time, so I should go for it before it's to late."

"Makes sense to me… If you really think he's worth it, then you should probably go for it… You're a smart girl, and I think deep down you know what you really want. If you do, then you should go for it…"

"Oh, he is, or I wouldn't even be bothering to waste my time trying… It's just that he's…" Gohan eyed Videl with vested interest, as she got a far off look in her eyes. "I think you'd probably agree with me… Isn't the Gold Fighter great Gohan?"  


"Gold Fighter?!" Gohan face faulted, and splattered face first into the dirt. He quickly pushed himself back up to plead his case. "The Gold Fighter?! Are you out of your mind?! You don't even know who the guy is, or where he comes from! You don't even know his real name for Kami's sake! That's why you call him the Gold Fighter!"

Videl blushed slightly. "I know, but that doesn't mean I can't learn! I'm a resourceful girl, and I have my ways of finding out what I want to know."

"But… But…"

"Hey, don't worry yourself Gohan!" Videl smiled cheerfully, and put her hands on his shoulders. "I'll be fine, and thanks for the advice. I should go for this since I know that I really want it… Thanks again Gohan, and good-bye! I got work to do, and thanks for the present, I'll make sure to admire it on my flight home!"

Videl walked away, leaving Gohan with his mouth hanging open. "But… But… Did I say that?…" Gohan groaned , and bellied over to the lake, and started banging his face into the cool blue water repeatedly. "How do I get myself into these things?"

Videl was about to climb into her chopper when something drew her back outside. Maybe it was the pull of the moon, as she looked up at it and smiled. "Gave me the moon huh… I can't believe he came up with this… I do love it Gohan, but there's something I want much more right now… (smiles wickedly) And I'm not going to stop until I have it."

********

Gohan sulked through the front door of his home, thinking over what Videl had said to him. The Gold Fighter! She's only seen him like four times! I thought she had more sense then that!… So she's in love with my alter ego… How the hell am I going to handle this?!

Without really realizing it he found himself sitting on the couch with the television remote in his hand. He heard the shower running down the hall, and assumed his mother was using it at the moment, and figured Goten must've been in his room playing or doing whatever it was seven year olds did. He turned on the TV, which was already set to a channel, which just happened to be showing the local news. Gohan's eyes widened, and he blushed nervously at the story being aired at the moment. 

  
"To go along with today's top story, the sudden reappearance of the moon has appeared to have sent costal tides in erratic disarray, slightly flooding costal cities all over the world including Japan, the US, Australia, and all over Europe. Reports say that no serious damage has been inflicted by the rather light but rampant flooding, but sources say it is very annoying. In other news, just how in the world did the moon reappear so suddenly? Scientists are baffled at…"

"Blah, blah, blah," Gohan groaned, as he shut off the TV with his remote. "They're baffled now, but I'm sure they'll have some corny explanation why by tomorrow morning." Gohan jumped slightly, as the telephone rang surprising him. He walked into the kitchen, picked up the phone, and answered. "Son residence? Since not many people have our number, we most likely know you so hello!"

  
"Hey Gohan, it's Roshi."

"Hey Master Roshi! You hardly ever call here, in fact I think this is the first time. What's up?"

"Well I was just wondering…" The old man looked up into the sky. "Did you happen to use the Dragon Balls to wish back the moon by any chance Gohan?"

"Actually, yeah I did," Gohan replied.

"Well, you do know that the moon is directly linked to the ocean tides now aren't you?" Roshi inquired of him.

Gohan sweat dropped. "Well yes I do, but I kind of forget to consider that when I made the wish…"

"I see… Are you aware that because of your little lapse in judgment… MY ENTIRE HOUSE HAS FLOODED!" Roshi yelled into the phone. Krillen, Eighteen, Marren, and the Turtle were all huddled around each other on the roof of the Kami house. The only section of their home still above sea level. "MY ENTIRE ISLAND IS UNDER WATER BECAUSE OF YOU!"

"Gee, I'm sorry!" Gohan cringed. "Don't worry about it though, it'll clear up once the tide rolls out. Once the water gets used to the moon's gravitational pull again, things will get back to normal."

"It had better! Until then we're going to need somewhere to stay, and I'd suggest it be at your place since you're the reason my home's a giant swimming pool right now!"

"Okay, okay! I guess we can do that… I'll have to take the mater up with my mother, but I'm sure she'll understand."

"In the meantime you better send a dingy out here to pick us up, and bring us back to land!" the old man huffed. "I'm not about to swim all the way there!"

"Umm… Okay, but why don't you just ask Krillen or Eighteen to fly you back to land? They're still there aren't they?"

Roshi sweat dropped, and turned to look at the grinning faces of his roommates. Krillen spoke up in his usual wise cracking nature. "We had a bet on how long it was going to take you to realize that."

Gohan laughed as heard Roshi begin to go off on Krillen and Eighteen, and decided to hang up the phone. He sighed, and leaned up against the wall. "So, it looks like we'll have house guests for a while. I guess I have more then Videl and the Gold Fighter to worry about."

End.

-Hmm, it looks like Gohan's stiffest competition is himself. I have a feeling Ryo's going to have a field day with this in the next chapter. I guess my hint was a little to good because a couple people actually got it… Oh well. I thought I was going to have this chapter finished earlier in the day, but when I finished editing I forgot that last section of the chapter with Roshi's island. I'm sorry if it's a little choppy, I've been at this all afternoon. By the way, I wasn't exactly sure how to spell Korrin's name, and I don't time to do much research. If somebody could please let me know if I got wrong, and how it's accurately spelled it would be greatly appreciated.

__

Preview of Chapter twelve! _I'm not completely sure how I'm going to develop parts of the next chapter yet. I might switch around a thing or two if the chapter winds up too short. Anyway, Gohan tries to recruit some of the other Z-Senshi, so the Tenkaichi Budokai won't be a total cakewalk, while Videl plans a way to approach the Gold Fighter with her apparent crush… It's all driving Gohan up the wall and back down again, and not to mention that Piccolo has a huge surprise for him. _


	12. Chapter 12

-_Important note!-_Ewe… Another full day of editing. I really slacked off this time, I only had half of this written Friday night. I'm shocked I actually got it done. Just for the record, I want to assure everybody that this is story *is not* going to become a crossover of any kind, and is going to strictly stay DBZ. At the most there might be a brief mention of another anime somewhere down the road, but that is it at this point and time. In other words, don't be scared away because you think it might turn into one because it's not. Any of you that might've read review 116 will probably know what I'm talking about. Anybody who might want to ask me about it feel free to. I just wanted to make that clear. Anyway, here's chapter twelve and enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ, or any of the characters featured below. I merely borrowed them for use in this story.

Chapter Twelve

"All hail Prince Vegeta!" a voice boomed to a rumpus crowd. 

Vegeta looked confused as he walked down the long hallway of the palace, eyeing everything around him suspiciously. It almost looked as if he were back on Vegeta-sai, but that would've been impossible. It was destroyed some time ago… Vegeta smirked as he looked down at his fellow Sayians kneeling down in homage all around him. "Humph… I must be dreaming. I'll have to say that my subconscious's detail is quite impressive."

As suddenly as they appeared, the people around him vanished leaving him surrounded by nothing but darkness. Vegeta growled softly as he began to move around in that unfamiliar domain until the outline of a large figure began to appear in front of him. Slowly, the figure became clear, and Vegeta's jaw nearly fell off his face. "Father! What is this?… Why are you here?"

"Like you said yourself my boy, this is a dream. I'm here to tell you how proud I am of you, and the mighty Sayian warrior you've become."

"Father…"

"What was that number?… 125 successful purging missions. Over thirty of them before your eighteenth birthday!"

Vegeta smirked slightly. "Something like that yes."

"That makes 125 planets you've destroyed." Vegeta's smirk immediately faded as his father said that. "And that comes to somewhere around 200 billion lives you've ended. That's an awful lot of blood on your hands my boy."

Vegeta growled, and lowered his head. "I…"

"What's the matter son? You should be proud of all you've accomplished! If I didn't know you any better I'd have to say you looked almost ashamed of yourself… Then again, I guess I can't blame you. You have grown rather soft after the past few years… You have a wife and kid now as I recall. I'm surprised you still have the mettle to live with yourself. You've almost gotten as bad as your rival Kakarott and his son."

"I am nothing like that clown Kakarott, or his brat!" Vegeta shouted. "Kakarott was an incompetent fool who has no clue of what it means to be a true Sayian warrior. He wastes all his time worrying about fighting for his family and friends, and that mud ball of a planet he calls home now! He knows nothing about what it's like to fight for pride and honor, and his brat has grown up even worse then he is! I am nothing like them!"

"Oh really now… You speak so ill willed of what he fights and stands for, yet both he and his boy are still stronger then you. While you train and fight for self-gratification, they fight to protect what's most dear to them… Maybe they're on to something Vegeta." 

"…"

"Think about it son. What exactly do you have to fight for?"

Vegeta groaned softly before sitting straight up in his bed. His breathing slightly harder then it should've been, he wiped a small buildup of sweat off his forehead. He looked over at his wife who was still sleeping comfortably at his side. With a slight humph he tossed the covers aside, and sat up out of bed. He decided to stand out on the terrace a moment or two to collect his thoughts. It wasn't exactly a nightmare as some might call it… Disturbing yes, but not really a nightmare. He found himself looking up at the moon, and wondering how the hell it was back up there all of the sudden. He assumed Gohan or one of those other fools must've wished it back with the Dragon Balls.

Kakarott… Why does that name still haunt me?! No mater how hard I train my body, he's always one step ahead of me! Even in death as it seems… But how can this be? I was once the pinnacle of what a warrior should be! Strong, ruthless, void of emotion, and free of petty distractions… Everything Kakarott wasn't and yet… He still managed to surpass me in every way imaginable! My way was right wasn't it? Strength first over useless ideals… But how the hell?!… There's no way his brat can still be stronger than me! I've trained none stop over these past seven years, while he's wasted time reading books and gallivanting around with those useless human children… Or can he still be? I guess it doesn't matter either way. When he was eleven years old he reached a level of strength I'm still breaking my back to reach all these years later…What is their secret?! How can they… I stayed on Earth to study Kakarott to discover the secret of his power, and then the fool went and died on me… To save the lives of everyone on Earth… Including mine… What am I missing? Has it really been right underneath my nose all of this time?

"Vegeta?" Bulma said groggily, rubbing her eyelids as she walked out onto the terrace.

"Huh?" Vegeta mumbled, as his head turned slightly to see he wife walking up to him. "Oh, it's you woman. What are you doing up at this hour? Go back to bed."

"Don't tell me what to do," Bulma yawned. She wrapped her arms around Vegeta's waist, and rested her head on his broad back. "You know full well I can't sleep when you're like this. I can feel what you're going through, and you've got me worried… Your problems are my problems, and you know you can't hide them from me so don't bother trying."

Vegeta grunted, and continued to stare up into the sky. "Tell me something Bulma… You say you love me right?"

"Of course I do… Do you think I would've put up with you all this time if I didn't?"

"Would you mind telling me why?"

Bulma's eyes widened, and she raised her head off of Vegeta's back. "What? What kind of question is that?!"

"I was just wondering why…" Vegeta continued. "You know full well about my past Bulma… How many lives I've destroyed. How many planets I've purged. The numbers would startle you. Knowing all this you still married me?… Are you comfortable with what I am? You seem to act like it's nothing now. Like nothing ever happened even. I can't see how you don't see me as anything but a heartless murdering monster. Truthfully, I wouldn't have wasted a breath ripping your head off back when we were on Namek, but now… How Bulma?"

Bulma looked thoughtful for a moment. "Well, I'd be lying if I didn't say all that bothered me at least a little Vegeta, and that I did see you as nothing but a bloodthirsty monster at one time. But things have changed now… You've changed Vegeta. When's the last time you've killed somebody that wasn't trying to threaten you or innocent people? When's the last time you've destroyed a planet? You can't help what you were raised to be Vegeta. It was even more of Frieza's influence then your own Sayian heritage. You deserved a second chance to live your life the right way just like everybody else. The way you never got a chance to do before. I accept and love you for what you are now, not what you were so many years ago. That doesn't matter to me anymore."

Vegeta stayed silent for a moment before a rare smile crossed his lips. "So I see… Thank you Bulma… I feel a little better now."

"Am I going deaf, or did you just call me by my name?! This must be a special occasion!"

Vegeta snickered softly. "Don't get used to it woman."

"Well, it was fun while it lasted." They both snickered softly, and spent the next few minutes staring up at the stars.

********

"I am so screwed Ryo, I don't know what I'm going to do!" Gohan ranted, as he paced around the grassy noel in front of the school. "I can't believe this! The Gold Fighter?! Sure I saved her in my Super Sayian form a couple of times, but she was down right rude to me! She pretty much told me to drop dead, and now she claims she's in love with him! Ah, my head's about to explode!"

Ryo leaned back against the brick of the school, trying his damn best to hold back his snickers. He wondered if Videl knew just how well her little scheme was working. "Umm Gohan… Need I remind you…"

"I mean jeez! She's known me for how long?! Six months now, but she's going gaga over some blonde hotshot she's seen like what, three times! This doesn't make any sense! What' so great about him anyway?!"

"Uh, Gohan…" Ryo frowned a bit, feeling his friend was toning him out.

"I know!" Gohan exclaimed with a smile. "Next time she's in trouble I'll save her as good old Gohan instead of the Gold Fighter! I'll show her I can do anything he can do if not better! I…"

"GOHAN!"

Gohan blinked a couple times, and looked at his friend who was now staring him in the face looking something that bordered along the lines of irritated and amused. "Huh? Oh hey Ryo, what's up?"

Ryo sighed, and put his hands on Gohan's shoulders. "Before you decide on doing anything that would make a total ass out of yourself allow me to remind you that… YOU ARE THE GOLD FIGHTER!"

"I know that and you know that, but she doesn't!" Gohan countered after Ryo finished shaking him. "I'm worried she'll be disappointed if she finds out it's me… Do you have any idea what kind of strain that might put on our relationship?! I'm knee deep in more messes then I can count right now Ryo…"

Ryo took his hands off Gohan's shoulders, and shook his head. "Did you ever stop to think that she might already think you're the Gold Fighter Gohan?"

"Well no…" Gohan looked thoughtful. "But if she did, why would she tell me she was in love with him instead of just telling me straight out?"

"To drive you nuts! She's a female Gohan, it's what they do! It's kind of a hobby of theirs."

"Maybe but… I'm not so sure about that… I just don't know how to handle this! My only hope is that the Gold Fighter doesn't have to make an appearance anytime soon. I need some time to figure out exactly how I'm going to act when I have to save her as a Super Sayian…"

Ryo sweat dropped. "Ah…."

Gohan face faulted. "I just jinxed myself didn't I?"

"Probably so... Videl is going to run into some trouble this evening sometime after sunset… I'm not sure where exactly, but from what I've seen it's a rural area."

"I'm not ready for this…" Gohan whined before a thought occurred to him. "Hey! Maybe I can help her out without transforming! That way I wouldn't have to face her, and maybe…"

"Gohan, think about this for a moment," Ryo interrupted him. "What are you going to do if you have to fly, or use some of your power in some way? How exactly are you going to explain that to her? You'll have two options after that. You'll either have to admit you're the Gold Fighter anyway, or you'll have to start lying to her, which I don't think you'd want to do. So, the way I look at it is that you have to decide whether you want to wait it out and let her find out who you are for herself, or come straight out and tell her."

Gohan appeared to think it over for a second. "So in other words, you're telling me I have to choose between lethal injection and the electric chair?"

"Pretty much… Look, why don't you just say the hell with it all together, and just tell the girl how you feel about her?! What are you so afraid of anyway? Aren't you the same guy who at six years old stood up to a maniacal tyrant named Frieza, and at the tender age of eleven defeated a ruthless monster named Cell? You're a 2nd level Super Sayian who also happens to be one of the strongest fighters in the universe, and you're going to stand there and tell me you're afraid of a teenaged girl who has her hair pulled back in ponytails?!"

Gohan looked Ryo straight in the face without changing expression. "Well… Yeah, she's a lot scary then they were. I'd rather face Frieza or Cell again any day rather than having to deal with Videl when she's mad!"

Ryo nearly fell over in typical anime fashion. He managed to stay on his feet with the support of a handful of Gohan's shirt. "I guess I'll give you that one… I suppose your fears do change as you get older… How about we find some sort of distraction to get your mind off of Videl before you worry yourself bald. Why don't we kill some time by trying to talk some of your friends into joining the Tenkaichi. It wouldn't hurt us if we had the deck stacked against whoever it is we're up against, and the tournament might not be all that bad with some decent competition in the mix."

"You know, that's not a bad idea…" Gohan admitted. "I know just who to ask first! Vegeta would join up just for an excuse to beat the hell out of me… Why don't we go talk to him? Bulma's been wanting to meet you anyway… And so has Vegeta… Sort of…"

"Ah…I've got nothing better to do at the moment, so why not? Okay let's go then," Ryo said, as he smirked. "You know, if you're that jealous you can always go Super Sayian. I'd be happy to hold you down while you beat the crap out of yourself."

Gohan frowned. "Shut up and fly!"

The boys took to the air, and it wasn't long before they landed in front of Capsule Corp. Gohan took a minute to prep Ryo on just what he'd be in for once he walked through that door. "Bulma's pretty cool, but she can get kind of cranky sometimes for something as simple as a bad hair day. Vegeta is another story all together… Just try to ignore him, because I'm sure he's going to try his best to get under your skin. He's convinced you're some sort of evil space alien who's secretly plotting to take over the Earth behind my back or something."

Ryo blinked a couple of times and then smirked. "Like he wasn't?! First of all I'm not an alien, I'm human. Second, what good would it do me to rule the world when I can't even get my own sister to listen to me!"

"Don't worry about it Ryo, I know you're one of the good guys," Gohan laughed. "Still I'm serious, don't pay too much mind to him if he threatens or acts hostile towards you. Just try to watch your mouth around him. He is as mean as he looks, but he won't actually do anything to you unless you provoke him… At least I don't think he will."

"You've made me feel so much Gohan," Ryo jeered. "Don't worry about me, I think I know enough about Vegeta to handle myself around him without too much trouble."

"I hope you're right Ryo, but I'm warning you… Well, you'll see soon enough."

It was true that Ryo did know more then he would've liked about the Prince of the Sayians by way of several visions staring Vegeta. Granted they weren't anything compared to what he'd seen of Gohan and Videl, but he was still confident he profiled this Vegeta fairly well. Still, he'd take Gohan's advice, and try to ignore the Sayian Prince if he could… 

They were greeted at the door by a woman Ryo recognized as Bulma, and a young boy at her side that caught Gohan's friend off guard. Ryo knew it had to be her and Vegeta's son, but that was about all he knew about him. He hadn't observed too many visions of these people since the Cell Games, there wasn't much need to he figured, so Trunks along with Goten were still a bit of a mystery to him. Bulma seemed rather cheery and legitimately excited to see him. Of course this made the young man rather uncomfortable… He didn't like being the center of attention even if it was for as few as one or two people. Or in this case three, and the man that was really causing his heart to race. The man known as Vegeta. It wasn't the man himself that was bothering him, but the unscrupulous look Vegeta was giving him from time to time. Kind of like he was dissecting him, varying from a slight interest in the boy to general unconcern that Ryo was even breathing. Gohan sure wasn't kidding when he warned him about Vegeta… He tried to hide behind Gohan hoping to fade away, more from Bulma then Vegeta, blushing slightly as she and Gohan chatted. He could tolerate the staring, but not the attention from this strange woman he had never met before. However, Bulma just didn't seem willing to forget about the boy.

"So you're Gohan's friend hey Ryo?" Bulma greeted cheerfully. "He's told us an awful lot about you."

Ryo's face fell in mock horror. "He has?! It's all lies I swear!"

"Relax, it was nothing bad," Bulma snickered. "Now, what did you boys come all this way for? You must have a reason."

"Actually, we came to talk with Vegeta," Gohan told her, prompting a look of surprise from the man's wife.

"Vegeta? That's a first…"

Vegeta grunted, and looked up at Gohan. "Speak with me? Fine, just make it quick boy, and this better be good if you're going to waste my time."

"Don't worry, it's quick," Gohan assured him. "We just wanted to ask you if you wanted to sign up for the Tenkaichi Budokai next month."

"Why would I want to compete in that ridiculous human sideshow, when the entire field of fighters consists of nothing but pathetic human weaklings?!"

"That's kind of why we wanted you to join," Gohan continued, knowing just how to goad Vegeta into agreeing. "Ryo and I are signing up, and we wanted to recruit some people that are actually worth fighting. My dad did win the thing a few years back, so if you're afraid you can't do the same then…"

Vegeta growled, and slammed his fists against the table as he stood up. "I can do anything that clown father of yours can!"

"So I'm taking that as a yes?"

Vegeta grunted before smirking, and slowly sitting back down in his seat. "Fine then. I'll fight in your little tournament.. Personally, I think you've gone soft since your father's demise boy. This could be my chance to beat some sense back into you before you become an embarrassment to the Sayian race! Especially after that pathetic display against your human friend over there I had to subject myself to!"

"What?!" Gohan's jaw dropped. "You saw us fight?!"

"Almost the entire thing, and I have to say I'm dismayed to see one of the last members of our race is barely able to defeat a human! I was attracted there by your energy, hell you two gave off enough to power this backwater city for a month! I can't believe you didn't sense me! Have you let your senses dull that much in this peaceful times?"

"Well, we were kind of busy!" Gohan defended himself.

"So, I saw," Vegeta smirked. It wasn't rare for a Sayian to get caught up in fight, especially a good one, and pretty much forget the rest of the world around them. That was one area Vegeta was proud of Gohan in… Of course he'd never let Gohan or anyone else know that. "Truthfully, I'm looking forward to maybe taking a crack at your human friend over here, or so he claims, now that I know he can actually hold his own in a fight. I'd like to see myself just how far this *human* can go, and why the great Kakarott's brat here had to go super to defeat him!"

"Umm… I assure you sir that I am human…" Ryo said shyly.

Vegeta grunted, and turned his head away. "Sure you are… Too bad for you I'm not as gullible as that son of a clown standing next to you! I'll find out what you're up to… One way or the other."

"Nice to see you never change Vegeta," Gohan sighed, as he turned to Bulma. "Well, we better be going. I have a few other people I want to talk to before sunset. I'll see you guys later okay?"

Bulma and Trunks wished Gohan and Ryo farewell while Vegeta just grunted. Trunks frowned as soon as they were out the door, and looked up at his father. "That's Ryo huh? I don't see what's so special about him. He doesn't seem that strong to me."

"Humph, you are still a boy aren't you?!" Vegeta snorted. "Otherwise you'd be able to tell he's holding back his power, because from what I saw the other day he's stronger then you! On the outside chance he is actually a human, then you better start working hard because no son of mine is going to be weaker then any human! I don't care how old you are! What are you standing there gawking at me for?! Get to work boy!"

Trunks grimaced, intimidated into a panic. "Yes sir! I'm going, I'm going!" Trunks stammered, as he sped off towards the gravity room.

"That family certainly was interesting…" Ryo commented as he and Gohan exited the Briefs estate.

"You don't know the half of it. That was just your first impression, just wait until you get to know them. Vegeta actually behaved himself sort of…"

Ryo cringed. "Vegeta was pretty much everything I expected him to be… You know, what Mr. Rogers would be like in one of those evil parallel universes. I wish he wouldn't have stared at me that way though… He really can't believe I'm just a human?"

"Once Vegeta has something set in his head there's no chance on changing his opinion without clear and disputable evidence, and even then it might take weeks afterwards before he'll except the truth. Don't ever expect him to admit he was wrong though, or you'll be waiting until you're in your grave. Plus, I think he just down right hates the thought of any human being even remotely powerful compared to a Sayian."

"I figured as much…" Ryo trailed off. "So he wants to fight me huh? Do you think I out to be worried."

"Nah, Vegeta's days of killing people just for the hell of it are long over. Don't expect him to go easy on you though." Gohan smiled after that statement. "Actually, if I were you I might feel honored right now. It's a rarity for Vegeta to ever give anybody credit for there fighting ability let alone a human! What he said to you back there was Vegeta's way of paying a compliment, or the closest thing he'll ever get to it anyway."

"I'm jumping for joy," Ryo mumbled sarcastically. "So where are you headed next?"

"I think I'm going to head off towards Master Roshi's island, and talk to Krillen and Eighteen," Gohan replied. "I think that's really the only place close enough for us to fly to and back before sunset."

"Go ahead then. I've got someone in mind I'd like to try and talk into competing with us while you head to Roshi's. I guess I'll see you later then."

"Okay then Ryo. See you soon." Gohan waved good-bye to Ryo, and took to the air speeding off towards the turtle hermit's island. In his haste, he failed to hear Ryo's final words before he took off himself to some undisclosed location.

"Sooner then you think Gohan."

********

"Wah-ho!" Gohan whistled, as he did loops in the sky. Maybe he was overdoing it a bit, but he couldn't help being excited. Not only was this tournament shaping out to be one of the greats, it might just turn out to be a day to remember for the rest of life. So far it was going to be himself, Ryo, Vegeta, Krillen, and Eighteen all involved in the Tenkaichi, and yes… Goku, his own father. He was coming back, if only for a day, a man he thought he might never see again was coming home. For the first time in seven long years…

  
He'd have plenty of time to be excited later though, there were more important matters to attend to at that time. The sun was setting, and Videl could be running into trouble at any time now. He locked onto Videl's Ki, and isolated her location to a lush wooded area just outside of the city. A rather busy part of highway that cut through the forest was a bit of an eyesore, but the scenery was otherwise breathtaking. Gohan quickly located her chopper, but other then that there was no sign of Videl whatsoever. Not until he picked up the distant sound of a young woman yelling for help nearby. Recognizing that voice as Videl's Gohan immediately panicked, fearing he might already be too late, and rushed towards the source of Videl's cries.

He found Videl hanging upside down from a tall tree. Apparently her hands were tied behind her back, and she was squirming around erratically as if she was trying desperately to free herself. Gohan sighed in relief to see she was okay, and flew over to her giggling slightly at her predicament. 

"Hey Videl, what are you doing up there?" Gohan jeered, as he landed directly below her.

Videl looked down at him looking annoyed at first, but then smiled when she noticed it was him. "Hey, it's you the Gold Fighter! It's about time you showed up! I'm not doing much… Just hanging around obviously…"

Gohan smirked slightly as he put his hands to his hips. "So I can see. Just hold on one second and I'll get you down from there."

"Oh, there's no need for that," Videl announced, as she released her legs from the branch they were hugging much to Gohan's horror. "Here I come!"

Out of reflex more then anything, Gohan stretched out his arms and caught her. She made a slight whooping sound as Gohan cradled her. He blushed as she looked up at him with one of those hypnotic smiles of hers, so distracting if fact that he failed to notice her hands were no longer tied, like they ever were in the first place. "Ewe nice catch. You've got strong arms you know that?"

"Videl, what is this?!" Gohan quickly put Videl down on her feet, surprising the girl with the suddenness of his actions. "You obviously weren't in any danger, so why pretend you were tied up like that!"

"Oh, sorry about that." A sinister smile crossed Videl's lips. "I just wanted to get your attention that's all… I never seem to see you unless I'm in some sort of mortal danger, so I figured this would be the only way to get you out of hiding."

"But, but… Why would you want to do that?" Gohan stuttered nervously, as Videl started to circle him slowly. 

"I wanted to see you… I have to admit that I've been quite impressed with you gold boy…" Videl grazed the back of his neck with her finger, causing him to cringe as the hair on his neck stood on in. "Maybe even a little infatuated I guess you could say. Some of the things I've seen you do are just amazing…"

"I'm flattered really Miss Videl…" Gohan said shakily, as Videl circled him again. "But I have to say that I'm a bit surprised… I mean you barely even know me… You just don't strike me as the type of girl who'd…"

Gohan paused, as Videl circled back around to his front and stopped, looking up at him with the same smile that hadn't once left her face. He muttered something in gibberish, as Videl started to cross little patterns across his chest with her fingertips. The look of fear in his eyes was priceless, as they widened to gigantic proportions. "Come on… I may be the daughter of the World Champion, and the cities most celebrated crime fighter, but I'm still just a regular girl at heart. I may not be as wishy-washy as most of them, but I have feelings and urges just like any other girl." Videl groaned seductively, grabbing a handful of Gohan's Gi as she leaned up to whisper something towards his ear. "And quite frankly you make me hot being this close to you right now."

Gohan's body vibrated, echoing her sentiments enough to back away from her in a hormone driven panic. "Now please get a hold of yourself Miss Videl!… I'm sure you don't quite realize what you're saying!"

"Oh, I know what I'm saying," Videl teased, as she closed in on him again. "In fact, I think I'm in love with you."

Gohan wanted to jump out of his Super Sayian skin. "But Videl! You barely even know me! How can you possibly say you…"

"I know you better then you think," Videl cooed, as she backed him up against a tree. She kept moving closer until she was practically pressing her body up against his. Now there was nowhere for him to run even if he really had wanted to. "I happen to know that you're sweet, smart, heroic… Sexy as hell for another… A little naïve, but you mean well. Loyal, and a really good friend that you can count on to trust your life with."

"And how can you be so sure of all that?!" Gohan countered, trying to appear composed as he stared back into her eyes. "Can you really have picked up on all of that after only meeting me several previous times before this? You don't think is a little crazy and impulsive Videl?!"

"Not at all… And like I said, naïve."

Gohan looked a bit confused, but shook it off and tried to play off one of his hunches. Well, Ryo's actually. "How am I naïve? You're not just using me to make somebody jealous now are you Videl?"

"Actually, that's exactly what I'm doing," Videl replied, her expression not wavering one bit. "No hard feelings I hope."

Gohan looked a bit insulted at this. "So, you are just using me to make somebody jealous?!"

"Sure am," Videl giggled, as she poked him in the chest. "And from the looks of things it's working pretty well… Isn't it now, Gohan!"

Gohan would've fallen over if it hadn't been for the tree at his back, and Videl standing in front of him. Just when she thought he couldn't have looked more nervous all of the sudden he was, and it showed in his voice as well. "Wh.. What! How did you?!… I mean, what makes you think my name is Gohan?…"

"Don't even bother Gohan. You're not fooling me so give it a rest okay?"

"I…I…" Gohan began to protest, but in the end shrugged his shoulders deciding to accept fate for the way things were. "How long have you known?"

"Pretty much since your tore Rico's car in half…" Videl frowned slightly, as she rethought her answer. "Well, I had an idea anyway. To be honest, I wasn't completely sure until that night at the warehouse…"

"What made you so sure it was me anyway?"

"Come on Gohan, get serious," Videl said cheerfully, as she played with the collar of his shirt for if any reason just to make him blush. It worked beautifully. "Who did you really think you were fooling anyway? So you turned your hair gold, and you wear those colored contacts for your eyes or whatever you do. Everything else is pretty much the same when I look close enough. You walk the same way, have that same goofy look on your face when you're nervous, and the same sexy little smile… Eventually, I put two and two together, and decided you two must be the same person."

"I see…" Gohan trailed off a bit. Oh, I get it now… She's known I was the Gold Fighter this entire time, so she probably did this to get back at me for not telling her myself. She puts on a really convincing show though. Almost too convincing. 

"Hey Gohan?" 

"Huh? What is it Videl?" Gohan asked as he was pulled out of his thoughts.

"I'm not sure how you do this and all, but… Would you mind changing yourself back to normal if you can? No offense to the Gold Fighter, but I much prefer Gohan if you don't mind?"

"Oh, yeah sure." Gohan smiled absently as he powered down, and this seemed to surprise Videl to some degree. "Is that better?"

"Yeah…" Videl said, as she gawked at him. "There goes my contacts and hair dye theory. How in the world do you do that anyway?!"

"Family trait I guess you can say," Gohan replied somewhat honestly. "So I guess all those things you said about thinking you were in love with the Gold Fighter and that weren't really true huh?"

"Oh, I wouldn't say that…" Videl hummed, as she started to play with the collar of his shirt again. It was more out of reflex this time. She didn't want to look Gohan straight in the face out of fear she'd panic, or forget the lines she'd rehearsed earlier. Gohan's chest seemed to make for a good vocal point. At least it didn't have eyes that could stare back at her. 

Gohan looked confused. "You wouldn't say that? But why? Like you just said, I am actually the Gold Fighter you know and?… Ah, ha, ha, ha…"

Gohan began to stammer as Videl looked him in the face, grinning in that evil way of hers. "And what's your point?"

Videl was so blatant that even poor Gohan wasn't naïve enough for that to go over his head. A small part of him wanted to scream like a little girl and run far away, but most of him just went numb. Then suddenly, almost as soon as it appeared, his nervousness faded, and a more mischievous side took over. So, she was talking about me! This entire time, and I didn't see it… Still, she didn't have to try and drive me nuts like she's been doing! Well, two can play at this game. It's payback time Videl. "So what am I going to have to do to keep you quiet about this?"

"Hmm… Let me think…" Videl did just that for a moment or two. "I know! How about you teach me how to fly, and I'll keep your little secret."

"Nope sorry, won't do it. I'm sorry, but I refuse to be blackmailed."

Videl cocked and eyebrow, and crossed her arms. "You refuse my request?! You better do what I say, or by Monday morning the entire school's going to know who the Gold Fighter really is."

"No they won't," Gohan smiled confidently. "Because I know you wouldn't rat out a friend like that, so I don't have to worry about you telling anybody my secret."

Videl sweat dropped. "Ah crud… You know me too well… Oh well, I had to try though."

"I'll tell you what though. If you ask me to teach you how to fly then I will. Because you're my friend after all."

Videl smiled at this. "Okay, it's a deal then. Now, what are you smirking about?" Videl asked him, hoping she already knew what the answer was.

"Well, just kind of disappointed I guess. I really thought you liked the Gold Fighter for a while there… I guess he wasn't the guy you've been talking then. So who is it?"

Videl's cheery expression fell right off her face. "Excuse me?!"

Gohan looked innocent as he replied, and only smiled on the inside. "Well, this guy you've been talking about obviously wasn't the Gold Fighter, so who is it really that you've been flaunting about all this time then?"

Videl bit her lip to keep herself from screaming. It only worked for a while, at least until her entire face turned blood red, and that just seemed to better symbolize things when she finally blew her stack. In a final act of frustration, she pulled down on her ponytails, and hollered like the foghorn over San Francisco Bay. "LOOK, IF YOU DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT BY NOW THEN YOU NEVER WILL! YOU ARE SO… AH TO HELL WITH YOU, THIS WAS A COMPLETE FREAKING WASTE OF TIME! YOU ARE SO CLUELESS GRRR!"

Gohan just smiled as she stormed away, mumbling to herself. "No, not clueless this time. You drove me crazy over the last couple days with this Gold Fighter thing, and I'm sure you know the old saying. What goes around comes around?"

It wasn't long after that when the realization of what this all meant sunk into Gohan's head, and he spent the good part of the next half hour thinking things over. Mostly things he'd overlooked in the heat of the moment. Like all the sweet things she mentioned about his personality and so forth, and remembered back to several months ago and a few of the things she'd said about her mystery crush. Now he felt stupid for never picking up on it before… For several months now she'd been trying to lay her feelings in on him, and he was too self-conscious with himself to actually believe she'd be talking that way about him… Most importantly, how she said she was *in love* with the Gold Fighter, not that she liked him. Now he was faced with the dilemma of assessing how deep his feelings ran for her. He'd never really thought about it before, basically because he wouldn't allow himself to. Maybe that should've provided a hint right there… He had admitted he was developing feelings for her at one juncture, but that 'L' word never once popped into the scenario. Ah hell, who was he kidding. She was a sweet and self-reliant girl, who could be pushy, but well meaning and loyal to the end. Not to mention how crazy she could make him over the simplest things, and this over protectiveness he'd been feeling towards her as of late. He never acted this way with anyone else before, and never quite could understand what he was feeling… Maybe the last thing that crossed his mind was the actual answer for what he was going through… Maybe he shouldn't let her slip through his hands if he really had a chance…

Gohan was bound to lose some sleep over this, so he might as well wait until then before he debated over this subject to awful much. He still wanted to talk with Piccolo before he called it a night. This Tenkaichi Budokai just wouldn't feel right with out him involved.

********

Gohan flew straight to Dende's lookout where his good friend and mentor spent most of his free time. As expected, he was greeted upon his arrival by Dende and his usual one-man entourage of the black genie Mr. Popo. "Gohan, isn't this a pleasant surprise. It's good to see you again."

Gohan greeted his childhood friend with a smile. "It's good to see you too Dende as always. I'd come by to visit more often, but you do live kind of out there…"

"I understand Gohan," Dende smiled. "I assume you're here to speak with Piccolo. He's around back in the training area. He's been expecting you."

Gohan's eyes widened in surprise. "He has? Well, I guess that shouldn't surprise me. He always seems to know what's going on before anyone tells him. Well, I'll talk to you later Dende. Mr. Popo."

Dende and Mr. Popo watched as Gohan disappeared around the back of his house. "Do you think he's really ready to know?" Mr. Popo asked the Guardian of Earth.

"To tell you the truth, I don't see why Piccolo had to keep this from him at all." Dende smiled as he thought about it. "Or maybe that was more of Kami's decision. Whatever it is, I'm sure Piccolo has good reason."

"There you are Piccolo," Gohan smiled, as he found his old teacher leaning up against Dende's house. "I heard you were expecting me."

Piccolo grinned at his young prodigy. He always felt a sense of pride seeing his old student all grown up as he was, a byproduct of the fatherly affection he'd felt towards him over the years. "I had it on good word that you'd be showing up to speak with me. So, what's on your mind?"

"Well, I was wondering if you'd like to compete in the Tenkaichi Budokai next month. Myself, a couple of my friends, along with Krillen, Eighteen, and Vegeta are all going to compete… Oh, and I guess I shouldn't forget to mention… My father."

"GOKU?!" Piccolo's face lit up with shock. "But that's not possible is it? I mean he's…"

"Well, apparently he has something worked out, and he's able to come back to the living world for twenty-four hours. He's going to use it to compete in the Tenkaichi."

"Things should be interesting then," Piccolo said thoughtfully. "As for your question I was already planning on competing in the Tenkaichi. Somebody else already asked me."

"Oh really? Who was that now?" 

Piccolo turned towards Gohan and smiled. "Another student of mine asked me to join some time ago, and I decided to do it."

"Another student of yours?" Gohan smiled, assuming Piccolo was just joshing him. "Since when do you have another…"

"About one year, nine months, and twenty-eight days now," a familiar voice said from behind Gohan. He turned around to the gaze of a pair of brown eyes, as the boy smiled at him. "Hey Gohan. Fancy meeting you in a place like this."

"Ryo?!" Gohan turned his head towards Piccolo. "Piccolo?! What's going on around here?!"

"I think it's about time I explained a few things to you Gohan," Piccolo said, as he approached his former pupil. "You better sit down. This is going to be a long story."

Gohan, Ryo, and Piccolo all sat down in a circle, and Gohan listened intently as Piccolo began his story. He cycled through various emotions as he looked back and forth from Piccolo to Ryo. Disappointment that his mentor and friend would keep something like this from him for so long, and excitement that he was seemingly going to learn more about just who or what Ryo actually was being the two most notable emotions he was feeling.

"I guess I might as well start from the beginning. It all began quite some time ago when Kami was still the Guardian of the Earth. You see there are strict rules forbidding the guardian of a planet from getting directly involved with their planets struggles, other then providing guidance or training that is. That's why it's really no big issue that Dende isn't much of a fighter. Kami knew that one-day powerful forces would come to Earth from the outside, and threaten the Earth's very existence. Such as with the original arrival of the Sayians, and the current appearance of the Ray Lien for example. Kami had fallen in love with the planet of Earth and the many inhabitants that resided here, but he wasn't delusional. He knew it's peace and prosperity would be threatened, and he was also well aware that the human race as a whole was not a very strong one compared to many of the other races scattered around the universe. A large-scale invasion from any of these outside forces, and the earthlings would've been practically helpless. Kami knew he had to do something about this. He made a request to the Kai's, and they agreed to allow him to bend the rules just a bit. He was allowed to observe the Ki patterns of newly born infants on Earth, and watched for those that possessed unique properties that set them apart from average humans. When he found one to his liking, Kami pumped a small portion of his life energy into that infants soul, therefore giving whoever that soul the ability to advance and increase it's own abilities while most humans have a certain limit they can reach before their bodies can't take anymore. For example with Yamcha and Krillen. It doesn't matter how hard they work or train, their limitations as humans won't allow them to grow much stronger then they are now. However a being's strength comes from that being's Ki, meaning their life force, and in laymen's terms what you might consider your soul. The true power of a living being resides in their spirit, and the stronger the sprit the stronger that being can become depending on the situation. Kami selected several souls in this process that he hoped had what it took to amount to something… Though this might come as somewhat of a surprise to you Gohan, the first infant he picked was you."

"Me?" Gohan gaped, still trying to digest everything Piccolo was telling him. "But why me? I was already a Sayian."

"Yes, but at the time Kami chose you, he didn't know Goku was a Sayian yet. You see, this all started right after you were born. All Kami knew was that Goku was an incredibly brave young man who had fought to protect this world without concern or regard for his own well being. You see there were two tests for each soul Kami chose to pass. The first being that they had to possess some sort of potential or hidden energy to work with, and even if Kami did grant them the means to push all that to the limit, that didn't guarantee they'd ever be able to use or even know about that power. They had to pass the character test first. Kami wasn't about to allow some loose cannon, like Vegeta for example, to go running around with powers he could use to destroy the planet as easily as he could to protect it. Kami figured the child of Son Goku would be as noble and courageous as his father was. In my honest opinion he couldn't have been more correct. That's where the origin to your true hidden power lays Gohan. That's why your energy's always been so different, not because you're half human. You released a part of that when you fought Cell all those years ago. It might appear to the ignorant that you've gotten much weaker over time, but that power is still laying dormant just waiting until it needs to be called upon again."

"Wow…" Gohan mouthed, as he looked at his hands. "I guess that would explain some things. Are there any more of these people you know of?"

"That's where the problem lies. After I fused with Kami, some of his memories were sketchy when his knowledge merged with mine, and couldn't remember just whom Kami was keeping tabs on. It's even a possibility that Kami himself lost track of them eventually, even though there was only three or four of them. Still, I saw how important this task might be, and decided I should continue on with what Kami started. I did manage to find one of them at least," Piccolo grinned, as he nodded towards Ryo. "At least I think I have anyway."

"I see…" Gohan said, as he grinned at Ryo. "So you've been training him to bring out this power of his… This explains why his fighting technique seemed so familiar! He was taught by the same guy who taught me!"

"Something like that but not exactly… Why don't you tell him your story Ryo. I think it's about time. I'm sorry I had you keep it to yourself for so long Ryo. I'm sorry about keeping you in the dark as well Gohan, but I felt it was for the best."

"I understand Piccolo," Gohan assured him. "If you thought it was best to keep it from me then I'm sure you had a good reason. As for right now, come on and spill it Ryo! I've been wanting to hear your story for the longest time."

Ryo smiled, and lowered his head. "Okay then… I guess it's time. Ah…. Like I've told you're before my dad use to move us around a lot when I was a kid. He was never home much even after work, and he was always drinking. Eventually, my mother got tired of it, and left him taking me with her. We moved to a town called Manco just about a twenty-minute drive away from Tokyo. At that point in time my life had just mutated into a total disaster. I never really had any friends…" Ryo blushed slightly. "Well, except for Amy of course, but at that time I pretty much thought she would've forgotten about me by then. That's how I went on thinking. I was always shy, always quiet, and the other kids at school could just be as cruel you can imagine. I never let it bother me much, but when it was stacked against everything else going on in my life it was getting to a point where I could barely stand it. My parent's divorce hit me the hardest… I loved my mom, I really did, but she was rather young when she got pregnant with me… Quite frankly, she was probably one of those women who should by no means have ever been a mother… Bless her heart, she sure tired though. With no other family I could really speak of, and my sister hundreds of miles away I just pretty much decided to hell with life all together."

"He was a total wreck," Piccolo jumped in. "I began to follow him around, and study him because of this strange energy I sensed from him. It led me to believe he might be one of the kids I was searching for, but when I saw the kind of life he was leading I thought there was no way this boy could ever pass the character test. He was one of the most pathetic pieces of work I'd ever seen, I'll tell you that much."

"What were you doing that was so bad?" Gohan asked curiously.

"I just stopped caring," Ryo sighed, as he rubbed the back of his neck. "I was letting my grades slip in school, and I started drinking all the time. Funny how the sins of the father can reflect on the son huh? Despite how much I hated him doing it, I did it myself. I pretty much said to hell with everyone, and would either ignore or act flat out hostile to just about everybody… I even tried to kill myself one night by jumping off the balcony of my apartment. Lucky for me some unseen force stopped me, or I might've just went through with it."

"What kind of unseen force?"

"I'm sorry, but I can't talk about that," Ryo grinned. "I haven't told Piccolo about any of that yet, and I don't plan to. I'm obligated to a promise I intend to keep."

Gohan looked like he wanted to protest, but Piccolo prevented him from doing so. "Lay off Gohan. He's entitled to his privacy."

"I know, of course he is. Now what happened to you after that Ryo?"

"Well quite honestly… Things slowly started change. I can't go into this much, but my life was changed forever that night. I finally found a little direction in my life, something I had been desperately searching for, for a long time. Let's just say that's when I found out I wasn't your ordinary human." Ryo giggled softly. "I had some problems excepting that direction at first, but now I can't imagine what my life would've been like without it. It's nice to have a sense of purpose in your life you know. I might've never accepted it if it hadn't been for… I met another young man named Takura shortly after that. He was a lot like me in some ways, only the complete opposite if you know what I mean. He was kind of shy, and never said a whole lot. He would tend to distance himself from people, but that was more by choice aside from myself who was more forced into it. I don't know what it was about him, but we really hit it off somehow and became really good friends. It was through watching him and the way he lived his life that changed my view on the world. I thought I had it bad, but this guy had things worse in every possible way. His parents were both dead by the time he was eleven so he practically had to raise his sister on his own, he lived in this dump of an apartment that was so filthy that the roaches had packed their bags and set off to search for greener pastures, and at least I had food on the table on a nightly basis. He had to scratch and claw his entire life just to stay alive. The thing was that he never complained about it… He never blamed anyone else for his misfortunes, and he wouldn't allow the hardships he was forced to live through control the way he lived his life… Not like I did. He always told me that we have a lot of influences in our lives, but when it all comes down to the wire that we are the only ones who can determine how our lives are going to be lived. We have to decide whether we want to be good or evil, whether we want to be part of the solution or part of the problem. There are a lot of people who'll try to mold us into what they want us to be, but we have to decide whether we let them or not. In the end, the only person we'll have to blame for the life we chose is ourselves. I kind of took that to heart…"

"Hold on a second, I thought you said you didn't have any friends outside of me and Videl?" Gohan asked, bordering along the lines of curious and sympathetic. Maybe it was an insensitive question, but Gohan was too into Ryo's story to notice. 

"I never said I didn't have any friends, I said I didn't have many," Ryo corrected him. "I'm very careful with what words I choose to use, that way I can never get caught in a lie. I actually have a small ring of several people I guess you could call my friends, but they rather not be broadcasted to the world if you know what I mean. Anyhow, things really started to pick up, and headed towards the way things are now somewhere around two years ago. A lot of things happened over the next year, but we'd be here all night if I told you so I'll skip all that. As you know, I was always considered a bit of a dorky guy, and even more so when I was younger. I was shy and didn't talk much, a bookworm, and I was a bit on the frail side I guess you could say. Ah, what's the point of beating around the bush, everyone thought I was a pussy. I would look in the mirror and see the same image they saw, and I couldn't help but think along the same lines. You know teenagers can be real assholes at times, and a lot of people singled me out for it. I never let it bother me for the most, but one-day things just went too far. A couple of my classmates started saying really nasty things about my mother and sister… It hadn't been that long since my mother… Well, needless to say my temper was on hair trigger at that time. Luckily, I avoided taking out my anger on them, and instead turned my focus to the wall behind me."

"So you punched the wall?" Gohan asked. "What's the big deal about that?"

Ryo smiled. "I put my fist right through it, and left a nice extra eight foot window in the middle of Mr. Yagami's science class. Needless to say, those guys who were harassing me never bothered me again, and I knew something strange was definitely happening to me. It wasn't long after that when I was approached by Mr. Piccolo over here."

"Like I said, I had pretty much given up on the boy some time ago," Piccolo picked up where Ryo left off. "However, a year later I felt a huge pulse of energy that I didn't recognize. I found out that that energy had come from Ryo, and somehow his strength had almost tripled in the past year. Not only that, but his character was much improved, as he seemed to have turned his life completely around. As I observed Ryo I noticed that he seemed to be somewhat aware and in control of the new Ki surges he was experiencing, but for whatever reason it seemed that he either didn't completely understand what was happening or was unwilling to accept it. I decided it might be beneficial to both of us if I confronted him about it. It wasn't long after that before he exposed his unique powers to me."

"What kind of unique powers?"

Piccolo smirked, and turned towards Ryo. "Why don't you give him a demonstration Ryo?"

"With pleasure," Ryo said, as he jumped to his feet. "Do you remember when I told you I was psychic Gohan?"

"Yes."

"Well, over time I discovered that I can do things that I'm wagering most psychic's can't," Ryo smirked, as he formed a small ball of purple energy in his hand. "Like this for instance."

Gohan stood up, and stared at the small swell of energy in confusion. "Yeah so? It's just a ball of Ki. Anyone who knows how to use their energy properly can make one of those."

"But that's where you're wrong Gohan. This isn't a ball of Ki from my life force." Ryo pointed at his head. "This one was created from up here."

"What?!"

"Somehow, Ryo is capable of summoning up his psychic energy, and is able to channel it through the rest of his body. Somehow, he was already well adept at this before I even introduced myself to him." Piccolo frowned a bit and lowered his head. "I've tried to duplicate the process, with his help, by using the small amount of psychic energy I possess, but all my efforts so far have failed. I can only assume that you must possess a high amount of psychic energy to call it out, or this ability is soully exclusive to Ryo."

"Wow," Gohan gawked. 

"It took some convincing, but I finally convinced Ryo and…" Piccolo growled as he thought about him. "That pathetic excuse of a trainer he had before me, to allow me to take him under my wing so to speak. He could already control his psychic power perfectly, so I focused on building him up in other areas. He was a decent fighter already, for a human anyway. About roughly as strong as your friend Videl back on Earth, when he wasn't using his psychic abilities that is."

"Wait a second! What do you know about Videl?!" Piccolo and Ryo just grinned at him, and the boy immediately shut up. "Never mind, forget I asked."

"As I was saying…" Piccolo continued. "I taught him the finer points of martial arts, the proper ways to train his body, and how to use his Ki. As we found out over time, when he mixed his Ki with his unique psychic abilities, Ryo's strength nearly doubled in almost an instant. It also appeared to stimulate his body, and allowed him to push himself beyond the limits of most humans. That why he's so much stronger then the average human. He also seems to learn rather quickly. He could pick up on things just by watching me do it. Remarkably, despite how intense it could get at times, after only two years of training and one day in the Room of Spirit and Time, Ryo has already reached the level he's at today."  


"What?! That's almost unbelievable!" Gohan sat back and smiled. "Man, I need to get to work, or your going to be stronger then me before I know it!"

"Don't get too far ahead of yourself now Gohan," Ryo chuckled nervously. 

"Though Ryo can improve steadily with regular training, unless he finds some other way to increase his strength, such as I did when I fused with Kami and Nail, then I'm afraid Ryo cannot grow considerably stronger then he is right now. He is still a human, and unlike Sayians beings like us have our limits to just how much energy our bodies can control. As of right now, Ryo's almost reached the top of his threshold, at least for the time being."

"I see…" A part of Gohan was disappointed to hear that, and another part sighed in relief. "So, you've been training him for two years now?"

"Actually, it was only a little more then one," Piccolo smirked. "Ryo surpassed me quite some time ago, so there wasn't much point in taking lessons from me any longer. I couldn't keep up anymore, so I would've been holding him back. That's when he decided to move into Satan City, and enroll in school there. To look into several vision's he'd been having at that time."

"Wait a second…" Gohan said thoughtfully. "I bet that's how Ryo knew so much about me… You told him didn't you?!"

"Actually no." Piccolo responded. "I didn't tell him a thing, I didn't have to. If fact, he educated me on a few things."

"I see… So, about these people you said Kami lent some of his power to… Are there any other's you know of, besides Ryo that is?"

"Actually yes, there is a couple we suspect…" Piccolo replied. "To tell you the truth, I'm not sure if Ryo's one of them or not. I think his ability might be either natural or comes from somewhere else. He had potential, so I decided to train him anyway. As for your question, we do have a couple people we've been keeping our eyes on just in case. They definitely have unique energy patterns, but we may never be positive on just who these people were… Hopefully we'll never need them."

"Who are they, just for my knowledge?"

"Well, one of them is my old friend Takura," Ryo answered. "As for the other well… We do have good reason to believe that one of them just might be Videl…"

"I probably should've guessed huh?" Gohan said softly. "It makes sense though. I always wondered how she got so strong, considering she has Hercule's genes and all. Wait a second… Do you think that may be why the Ray Lien are after her?"

Ryo nodded his head. "I've suspected as much, but I have no clue how they might've discovered that if they have. We don't even know if she is for sure."

"But why would they be after her and me, and not someone like you Ryo?"

"Ryo has done an excellent job keeping a low profile to this point," Piccolo answered for him. "You can't hit a moving target in the dark. You can't see it if you even know it's there."

"That makes sense…" Gohan sweat dropped as a thought occurred to him. "Umm… I'm kind of embarrassed to ask this, but just what did Ryo tell you about Videl and I Piccolo?…"

All Piccolo could do was smirk. "Enough. So tell me, I'm I going to be invited to the wedding?"

Gohan fell over, and Ryo just started laughing. "He's jumping the gun a little there! By the way, you told me Videl was going to be in trouble! She wasn't in any danger, it was all a setup! You knew about what she was planning the entire time didn't you?!"

"Well duh. You're just now realizing that? Maybe Vegeta's right, you are getting slow!"

"You think it's funny huh? I'll give you something to laugh about!" Gohan charged after Ryo who took off in the other direction. "Get back here!"

Piccolo remained still, and closed his eyes as his two pupils began flying circles around Dende's lookout. "Humph… Kids."

End.

-Well that's all for now. I really got into the ending there from everything with Videl and Ryo. I'm usually disappointed with myself when I finish a chapter, but this one I actually got excited over. Turned out much longer then I thought it would to.

__

Preview of Chapter 13! _It's the day before the Tenkaichi Budokai and… Sadly everyone who wants to sign up for the tournament has to suffer through the Satan Hercule carnival being held the day before! Oh, and is custom with all G/V fic's this is the part when Gohan teaches Videl how to fly! I can't see how anything can possibly go wrong here… Then again, I'm usually wrong about these things… _


	13. Chapter 13

-Howdy! This chapter ran a little longer then most, so it took me a little extra time. I will warn you that there are a couple of really bad jokes waiting in the wings of this chapter, I just couldn't help myself. 

There is one thing I wanted to elaborate on before we get started. I received a couple of complaints about Roshi's island no longer being under water. I didn't think it was necessary to elaborate on this, but I guess I was wrong. As I'm sure you all know, the tide rolls in and rolls back out every day. So when Roshi's island was flooded when the tide rolled in, the tide naturally had to roll back out eventually. I even had Gohan mentioned that in his phone conversation with Roshi. Chapter twelve took place a couple days after eleven, so by then the waters had calmed down and the tide naturally would've rolled back out thus returning Roshi's island back above sea level. I'm sorry if that confused anybody, I guess I should've explained it. I actually had a little scene planned where Gohan travels to Roshi's island while they're cleaning out Roshi's now waterlogged homestead. The scene didn't really to anything to move along the story and I couldn't get into it, so I decided to cut it out of the chapter completely rather then do a half assed job of it. Well, now that I've explained things, enough with that and on with the story!

Chapter Thirteen

Gohan shook his head, as he watched Videl stumble around. She'd at least managed to keep her knees steady to that point. She tried her best to keep her body still and adjust to her surroundings. They weren't foreign, just the forest around Gohan's home, a place she had frequented over the past seven months and even more so the past several weeks. The only difference was that this time she was twelve feet in the air, just sort of floating around as she tried in vain to keep her body steady.

"Whoa!" Videl gritted her teeth, as she dropped a little, drawing a laugh from her instructor. "It's not funny Gohan!"

"It is from down here. We've been at this for over two weeks now, so normally I would figure you would've gotten the hang of flying to some degree," Gohan teased her. "So far, all you've pretty much been able to accomplish is hover, and you can't even seem to stay steady doing that."

"I'm trying my best Gohan!" Videl frowned at him. "You know you're supposed to be encouraging me not… Whoa!"

Breaking her concentration to yell at Gohan, Videl promptly lost her grip on her Ki and dropped out of the air. Gohan instinctively reached out his arms to catch her, like he seemingly had to do at least once every day since he began to teach her how to fly. He just shook his head as he looked down at the young girl cradled in his arms. "What have I told you about keeping your concentration Videl? You know, I'm starting to think you're doing this on purpose."

Videl blushed slightly, and connected the tips of her index fingers together. "You think so? What makes you say that?"

Gohan blushed as he realized what she was doing, then set her back down to her feet. Videl giggled as he did this. "What's the matter Gohan? You can't stand touching a girl or something? You really need to grow up."

"It's not that… I just thought it would be best if I put you down before you punched me in the face."

"What kind of girl do you take me for Gohan?!" Videl said cheerfully, as she scratched at his left cheek with her index finger softly. "I'm a little rough, but why would I want to mess up a cute face like that?"

Gohan backed up nervously, and quickly changed the subject. "As far as your progress for flying goes, I don't think you have much to worry about. You're just now learning how to use your Ki properly, and it takes time to learn to control it without any trouble. You'll get the hang of it eventually."

"I'm sure I will," Videl smiled flirtatiously. "I've got a great teacher after all. Maybe all I need is a little personal instruction. Why don't you come up with me, and show me a thing or two. I might surprise you with how fast I can catch on."

Videl took Gohan by the hand, and lifted herself up in the air a few feet, trying to goad Gohan into taking flight with her. Instead, Gohan just blushed a bit, and pulled her back towards the ground a couple feet, surprising the girl somewhat. "You know, I might just consider that next time, but we are running short on time for this lesson. I'm going to check with mom, and see if she has dinner ready yet. You know we're having that big get together with all our old friends before we head off for the carnival, and mom will pound me into the ground if I'm late."

"Oh, I understand," Videl pouted slightly as her feet touched the ground. "Let's get going then."

"No, better yet, why don't you stay here and get a little more practice in before dinner. It might be a while before you get to practice again, so the extra time might do you some good."

"You mean alone?" Videl asked, not liking the sound of that one bit. That was going against the entire reason she was still here. "Okay I guess…"

"I'll come get you once dinner's ready," Gohan said, as he took to the air. "And be careful Videl."

"I will…" Videl sighed, as Gohan disappeared in the distance. Her expression, however, quickly lightened up. "Oh well, at least now I won't have to hold anything back."

Videl took to the air again, but this time she didn't show the slightest sign of struggle. Just the opposite in fact. She did a mid-air triple axel before zipping off, darting around the forest like someone who'd been flying for years. At rather impressive speeds for a rookie too. 

"I love this!" Videl cheered, as she slowed her body down and floated upside down for a moment. "I feel kind of free moving through the air like this… I really have to come up with a way to thank Gohan for this later…" 

"BIRD! SHOOT IT, IT'S COMING RIGHT FOR US!"

Videl did a double take in the air as she recognized the voice, and the young man staring up at her from the ground. Videl lowered herself towards the ground nervously, bringing herself face-to-face with Ryo's grinning mug. "This wasn't what it looks like, I swear it!"

"It isn't? I'm pretty sure I just saw you flying a second ago. Why are you acting so panicky for anyway? What's the big deal?"

"You mean that doesn't surprise you at all?" Videl asked, looking a bit surprised herself. "I mean, human's don't normally fly you know?!"

"You do have a point, but now that you mention it, no it doesn't bother me at all," Ryo told her. "I've been watching Gohan struggling to teach you to fly most of the afternoon now actually…What does interest me though is how you could've looked so pathetic while Gohan was trying to train you, and then as soon as he's gone you're zipping around the forest like Mighty Mouse."

"Mighty Mouse?!" Videl frowned. She was offended by that out of all the super hero analogies he could've used, and he referred to her by a rodent on steroids. "As for your question, there's really no reason I just…"

"I know what you're doing," Ryo smirked. "You're just pretending to struggle for an excuse to spend more time with Gohan aren't you?"

"What, no! I mean not exactly…"

"You're pathetic Videl… You know there are other ways to grab his attention. I sincerely doubt he's going to object to spending more time with you."

Videl grunted, and plopped down on her butt. "What else am I supposed to do?! I've tried everything with him, but I can't get the point to break through that thick skull of his! I've even reduced myself to flittering with him! Disgusting!"

"Yeah, you really seemed disgusted to me," Ryo said sarcastically, referring to the way she had flirted with Gohan just minutes before.

Videl smirked slightly. "Okay, so I did enjoy it a little… But that's just Gohan… He still doesn't seem to notice though."

"Oh, he notices trust me. You know, you have pulled some evil tricks on him, such as with the Gold Fighter incident. Maybe this is just his way of getting back at you."

"For two weeks!" Videl huffed. "I still think he's just brushing me off because he's not interested. I wish he'd just come out and tell me though! I'm a big girl, I can take it! What are you doing here anyway Ryo?"

"I was invited," Ryo told her. "I'm going to the carnival with you guys tonight."

"Why are you going?" Videl snickered. "The thing was pretty much set up for kids to create more of a family atmosphere for the Tenkaichi."

"Well, I kind of have to go if I want to sign up for the tournament now won't I?"

"You're signing up for the Tenkaichi?!" This time Videl laughed out loud. 

Ryo looked offended. "Hey, what's so funny about that?"

"I'm sorry Ryo, but you don't exactly strike me as the fighting type," Videl snickered, trying to stop herself from doubling over with laughter. "What do you know about martial arts anyway Ryo?!"

"More then you think!" Ryo smirked. "I'd expect that from anybody else, but you surprise me Videl. You should know as well as anybody not to judge a person's fighting ability by their appearance. If it wasn't for the Satan on the front of your name, then I sincerely doubt the bad guys would be quivering with fear when a little girl wearing pony tails got in their face."

Videl smirked at this. "I guess you have a point. It should be interesting to see how you handle yourself in the ring… If you can manage to get past the qualifying round that is."

"I don't think that'll be much of a problem. You know, Mrs. Son should be finishing up dinner any time now. Why don't we save Gohan a trip, and meet them there. I'll race you."

"You race me?! Fine then, but you don't stand a chance," Videl jeered as she moved into a sprinting position.

"What are you doing? A foot race isn't quite what I had in mind. I meant up here," Ryo said, as he took to the air.

Videl's eyes widened in shock. "You know how to fly?!"

"Quite well I might add. I know you're just a rookie, but I'll take it easy on you. You up for it? Ready, set, go!" 

Ryo blasted off leaving Videl in his dust, and surprising the hell out of her with how fast he actually was. "Hey, wait for me!" Videl shouted, as she flew off after him.

By the time Gohan arrived home, his mother and Bulma were already setting the pair of long picnic tables in front of the Son house with Yamcha politely assisting the ladies. Krillen, Eighteen, Marren, and Roshi were all huddled together at the table chatting about something while Vegeta was sitting off towards the end looking cranky as usual. Trunks and Goten were busy chasing around some poor misfortunate rabbits that wandered into the area, and Gohan assumed Piccolo was off mediating somewhere. After a brief conversation with his mother, he learned that dinner would be completed any minute now and that he should go get Videl. He was prepared to go off and do just that when he felt a strong Ki streaking quickly towards his location. Sensing whom it was, Gohan's only question was what was the big hurry. Gohan wandered away from his house a little ways, then stood still and waited. A few seconds later, a huge ball of light thundered into the area, creating a rather strong gust of wind in its wake. Everyone turned their heads to see what all the commotion was about, except for Vegeta who already knew and found it rather amusing how easily these humans were fascinated by a relatively small burst of energy like that.

"Hey Ryo, glad you could make it," Gohan greeted his friend, as Ryo straightened out his clothes. "Just in time for dinner even, but would you mind filling me in on what the big hurry is?"

"Oh, just a little pre-meal competition." Ryo and Gohan waited a few moments, until finally Videl came into view flying in behind him.

"That was no fair Ryo, you cheated!" Videl complained as she landed next to him. "You took a head start!"

"Yeah, but I let you catch up to me twice," Ryo grinned, as he put his hands behind his head. "It's not my fault you couldn't keep up. Don't be a sore loser now Videl.

"Well, I wasn't prepared for that! How was I supposed to know you could fly too?!"

"Excuses, excuses…"

"Umm Videl…"

"Huh? Oh, hey Gohan," Videl smiled at him, but her expression dipped a bit when she saw the way he was looking at her. "Is something wrong?"

"Well yeah…" Gohan looked a bit confused as he spoke. "Just a few minutes ago you could barely float in the air, and now you just flew over here like a natural. I know you couldn't have picked up on it that fast, so what's up?"

Videl sweat dropped, and stammered a little as she realized just what she'd done. Ryo just started laughing at her, so Videl turned her focus back on him. "This is your fault! You landed here in front of Gohan on purpose didn't you?!"

"Could have…" Ryo smiled wickedly, as he started to backpedal.

"Where do you think you're going! Get back here you rat!" Videl shouted, and took off after him.

Gohan watched in confusion, as Videl started chasing Ryo around the Son's front yard. Somewhere during that time, Piccolo had appeared out of nowhere, and walked up beside Gohan without the boy even noticing at first. "Oh hey, Piccolo."

"What did he do now?" Piccolo asked Gohan, with something that resembled the Namek's version of a sigh.

Gohan just shrugged his shoulders. "I dunno."

The second that Chi-Chi called out dinner, everything seemed to settle down all at once. Soon enough, everyone was gathered around the table, making their plates. Videl sat down next to Gohan, and Ryo across from them. Videl chose wisely to take the seat in between Gohan and Yamcha rather then the empty seat next to Vegeta. Something about that guy just rubbed her the wrong way. His wife Bulma and young son took their seats across from him. Goten flopped down rather enthusiastically next to Trunks assumingly to sit next to him, and across from his older brother. However, the youngest Son child also seemed quite intrigued by Ryo, and unseen by Videl he was even showing both youngsters a couple of his psychic tricks underneath the table. The majority of the meal passed without much incident, with just casual conversation striking up between various parties. Videl found herself more intrigued with watching some of these people eat… She was used to seeing Gohan tare through his food like a starving Tazmanian Devil, but to her surprise Vegeta, Trunks, and Goten were eating in almost the same manner Gohan was. Ryo wasn't engulfing his food nearly as fast as Gohan and company, or eating as sloppily. However, he was consuming a ridiculously absorbent amount of food. She wondered where they put it all.

"So Yamcha…" Gohan spoke up, finally coming up from his meal to breath. "Do you know why Tien decided not to compete with us this year? I know he keeps in touch with you more then us."

"Well, he's kind of embarrassed that a weakling like Hercule can win the Tenkaichi Budokai," Yamcha whispered quietly to Gohan, so Videl wouldn't hear. "We all are, but he's particularly bitter about him taking all the credit for defeating Cell when he did nothing, and Goku died while fighting that thing. He said he wants nothing to do with the Tenkaichi as long as Hercule's the champion."

"Well, he doesn't have much to worry about after this year," Krillen snickered. "There's no way he's going to make it to the finals. He's going to have to face one of us eventually."

"Excuse me? Who are you talking about?" Videl asked him.

Krillen sweat dropped. "Uh… Nobody in particular… Forget I said anything."

Ryo tried to concentrate on his meal, but that was getting increasingly difficult by the second. Vegeta had been gawking at him for quite some time now, and he was getting much harder to ignore. "Your eating habits are interesting boy. I haven't seen many *human's* who could pack away that much food."

"What can I say, I love to eat!" Ryo laughed nervously. That's really all he could say with Videl present, even though he could tell Vegeta could care less if she knew anything or not. 

Vegeta grunted, and returned to his meal. "Don't think you're fooling me boy. I know something's up with you. My hunches on these things are never wrong."

"Well, there is a first time for everything. I'm afraid this is one case where you're wrong. I'm sorry but you just might have to accept that for once."

Vegeta growled as he stood up. He reached across the table, seizing Ryo by the collar of his shirt, and pulling him up to his feet. "How dare you speak to me like that! Do you know who I am boy?!"

"Hey, what do you think you're doing?! Let him go you jerk!" Videl snapped at him, but Vegeta just ignored her. 

"Vegeta behave yourself!" Bulma barked. "Put the boy down this instant."

Ryo frowned slightly, but other then that appeared as emotionless as he could be. "Look, I know exactly who you are Vegeta. I respect you, but I'm not going to sit here and pretend I'm afraid of you! I've spent my entire life being pushed around by people like you, and I don't allow myself to be frightened or intimated by the likes of you anymore! I really don't care if you can break me in half or not!"

Vegeta stared the boy down a moment before smirking, and letting go of him. "You've got balls boy," was all he said before sitting back down and returning to his meal. The rest of the table just sort of sighed with relief, except for the boys who looked disappointed. They were used to seeing the grownups fighting all the time, but those were usually always harmless spars where nobody got hurt. 

Bulma stood up, walked around to the other side of the table, and whacked her husband on the back of the head before walking over to where Gohan and company were sitting. "What was that for woman?! I was only testing the boy, where was the need for that?!"

"I'm sorry about him, I don't know what gets into him sometimes," Bulma apologized for Vegeta to Ryo from across the table.

"Umm… It's nothing really…" Ryo blushed, and returned his attention back to his food.

"Doesn't talk much does he?" Bulma whispered to Gohan, as she lowered her head between him and Videl.

"Nah, he's just a little shy at first around people he doesn't know well," Gohan told her. "Trust me, once you get to know him you won't be able to shut him up."

Videl laughed at his, prompting Bulma to turn her attention from Gohan to her. "So, this is Videl huh Gohan? Way to go…"

"Bulma stop!" Gohan blushed feverously as he turned back to his food. Videl just smiled at the table, and the rest of dinner past with no further incident.

********

A collective groan of disgust swept through the ranks of the Z-senshi, including Videl, as they walked up to the entrance of the first annual The Great Satan Hercule Pre-Tenkaichi Extravaganza Spectacular Carnival. (Yes, Hercule came up with the name himself) A huge plastic bust of Hercule's smiling head stood atop of the Carnival gate. 

"Eck… There'll probably be pictures of that goober's smiling mug plastered all over the place," Krillen mumbled under his breath.

"This is humiliating," Vegeta complained, as he seriously flirted with the thought of blowing Hercule's head right off the gate. "Why must we have to subject ourselves to this ridiculous carnival just to sign up for some pathetic human fighting tournament!"

"To save time for one," Videl answered him, wondering why Vegeta kept referring to everything as human this, and human that. "It's becoming a bit of a hassle to sign up, get through the qualifying round, the Jr. Tournament, and the actual Tenkaichi all in one night. They figured having everybody sign up at the carnival would save a little time. Plus, they wanted to encourage parents to bring their kids along. Anyone who buys a ticket to the Tenkaichi gets a half price ticket to the carnival."

"Still, do we have to look at that?" Chi-chi growled, still staring up at Hercule's head. 

"I don't see why everyone's so surprised," Ryo smirked. "It doesn't surprise me none at all to see Hercule's name synonymous with the circus."

This drew a laugh from just about everyone who knew the truth about Hercule. Even Vegeta and Eighteen snickered softly to themselves at the boys comment. Videl was the only one who didn't find the humor in it whatsoever, for obvious reason. "I don't see what's so funny about that! What was that supposed to mean anyway?"

"Ah, don't worry about it Videl," Gohan said, as he placed a hand on her back. "Like I told you before, we're not the biggest fans of your father. It's nothing against you now."

"I still don't have to like it!" Videl huffed.

Suddenly, Gohan stopped in his tracks, and gasped softly. Concerned, Videl stopped along side him, and looked up at the boy. "Is something wrong Gohan?"

"I felt something…" A wide smile attacked the boy's lips. "He's here! He's early…"

"Who's here?" Videl frowned. Now everyone was gawking at Gohan since he had practically screamed it. "How is he early?!"

Vegeta snickered slightly, and said softly. "Kakarott…"

Though the others couldn't feel him, they could definitely see the light in the shape of a human outline forming by a tree nearby. A few seconds later, Goku materialized in front of them, stumbling a bit and holding his head in his hands. "Whoa man! She wasn't kidding when she said it would feel like my body was being ripped apart!"

Goku turned around, and his jaw dropped as his eyes landed on the faces of his old family and friends. He'd annoyed the hell out of King Kai over the past couple of days with all his ramblings of how excited he was over going home after all these years. Goku thought he had prepared himself enough, but now he realized composure was completely out the window. Everyone just sort of gawked at him for a while, and something had to give eventually. Finally it did as Gohan, Chi-Chi, and Krillen stormed in from one direction and Goku from the other. All of the sudden, Goku found himself swarmed, as he and his family and friends exchanged greetings that had been waiting for seven long years. His wife was the first one to reach him, wrapping her arms around him. Goku returned her embrace and swung her around full circle, giggling the entire time, making sure he gave her a soft peck on the lips before he placed her back down on her feet.

"It's good to see you again Goku," Chi-Chi sniffed with tears in her eyes.

"It's good to see you too. You have no idea how much I've missed you!" Goku said happily, as he gave his wife another hard squeeze. "It gets really lonely in other world, especially after seven long years…"

Goku's eyes then shifted towards a young man standing towards his right, one that looked a dangerously good cross between his father and mother. Chi-Chi stepped back, giving her husband room to greet his son. 

"Hey dad…" Gohan said, managing to keep himself calm. "It's been a long time huh?"

"Gohan? You're huge!" Goku laughed, as he embraced his son. "Oh man, you're all grown up on me now! I'm sorry I mist it…"

"Hey, you couldn't help being dead now dad," Gohan said, as he reluctantly pulled away from his father. He left out any part of him thinking it was his own fault, so not to upset Goku. "But you're here right now, and that's all that matters. Even if it is only for a day… At least we have a day…"

After greeting his family, Goku went around the circle that had formed around him including Piccolo, Krillen, Bulma, and Yamcha. Eighteen had chosen to stand back with Marren, wearing a slight grin across her lips. Vegeta stood back a few feet looking indifferent as always with Trunks standing by one leg, and a nervous looking Goten standing in front of them.

"What are you waiting for boy?" Vegeta asked Goten, without looking down at him. "That's your father over there. Go greet him, you might not get another chance after tonight."

"But I ah…"

"Don't be a dork Goten, go on!" Trunks smiled, as he shoved his apprehensive friend forward.

"Okay I'm going…" Goten looked back at Trunks blushing, before slowly moving towards the crowd that had gathered around his alleged father.

"Who in the world is that, and why is he kissing on Gohan's mom?!" Videl asked Ryo, not sure whether she should be confused or appalled. The pair had chosen to stand back, not wanting to get in the way of the reunion with whomever it was they were all huddled around.

"Well, I know this is going to sound strange, but I'm rather positive that's Gohan's father," Ryo answered her, and of course Videl thought he was nuts.

"What?! But that's impossible! Gohan said his father was dead!"

"I know he is, so don't ask me. In fact, why don't you ask Goku, I'm sure he could tell you."

"It sure is good to see all you guys again," Goku said after all the hellos were finished. 

"Hold on a second Goku, there's still one more person you have to greet," Chi-Chi told him, as she scanned her eyes amongst the crowd. Goten, where are you sweetie?!"

"Goten?" Goku laughed. "Isn't that the name we talked about picking out if we ever had another chi… Uh…"

Goku froze, as he laid eyes on the blushing little form of who he assumed was Goten. "I'm here mom…"

"Mom?…"

Chi-Chi took Goten's hand, after he walked over to her side. "Goku… This is Goten. Your youngest son."

"My youngest…" Goku trailed off, still gawking at the little boy latched on to Chi-Chi's side.

"Um… Hi," Goten said shakily.

"Hey Goten…" Goku smiled thoughtfully, and bent down to get a closer look at his son. "Wow, I really wasn't expecting to find I had another kid on this trip. You look just like me, you know that? Now, are you going to come over here and give me a hug, or am I going to have to come down there and get you?"

Goten thought about it for all of five seconds before letting go of his mother, and jumping into his father's arms. "Daddy!"

"Whoa, easy there Goten!" Goku laughed, as his son was squeezing his neck with surprising force for a seven year old. "I may be dead, but I still need to breath or I'll pass out!"

After another minute or two of catching up, Goku and the small crowd he'd drawn started to move towards the carnival entrance. On his way to the gate, Goku noticed the two teens watching them rather intently. Gohan noticed this, and realized he'd forgotten to introduce them. Poor Videl was probably wondering what in the hell was going on. "Oh dad, hold up for a second. I almost forgot, but I'd like you to meet a couple friends of mine. This is Videl and Ryo, they'll be competing in the tournament with us."

"Oh is that so?" Goku said cheerfully, as he offered his hand to Videl, which she accepted. Of course, like most anyone, Goku jumped to conclusions when his son introduced him to a girl. "It's nice to meet you Videl. Hey, she's a cute one Gohan!"

Videl frowned slightly. "Excuse me?"

"We all agree," Krillen grinned mischievously, and elbowed Goku in his side. A very high upward motion of course. "I bet you didn't know your son was playing the field while you were in other world did you?"

"Is that so?" Goku snickered, assuming his hunch was right.

"I am not playing the field dad, I assure you!" Gohan seethed, his face glowing like lava lamp. "We're only friends despite what everyone, including Vegeta, tells you! Krillen here just doesn't know when to keep his big yap shut!"

"Oh really?" Goku said somewhat disappointedly, before an evil grin attacked his lips. "But if it isn't true, then why are you blushing like that Gohan?! Red wasn't your natural skin color when I left!"

"Dad stop!" Gohan grabbed his father by the collar of his Gi, and pulled him off to the side. He leaned upward to whisper into his ear. Videl, Ryo, and Krillen all tried to lean in close to hear what Gohan was saying. "Look, she's not my girlfriend… But I do like her, and I'm working on it… Just please keep that to yourself… Especially from mom, she already has me marrying the girl!"

"Don't worry, I won't tell a soul!" Goku assured him. "Even I can keep a secret for twenty-four hours!"

"Um… excuse me Goku sir…" Videl said as she approached him. Videl blushed slightly as the older man turned around and smiled at her. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure go ahead."

"Umm… Thanks… I apologize if this sounds rude, or insensitive or anything but I was just wondering…" Videl started slowly, but asked the actual question itself rather quickly to get it out of the way. "Aren't you supposed to be dead?!"

Goku looked a bit unnerved at first, before he started to laugh. "Oh that! Yeah, I'm still dead. That's what this is for!" Goku said cheerfully, as he pointed to his halo. "I built up some credit in other world, so I was able to come back to the living world for a day! I decided to use it to compete in the Tenkaichi this year!"

"I guess that makes sense…" Videl trailed off, unsure of whether she believed what she heard or not. Come on Videl, that shouldn't be big or a surprise. You never thought a human being could fly before, or that someone could wish back the moon with magic balls, or that Gohan's sensei would be a green guy with pointy ears and a turban! So Gohan's dead father comes back to life for a day, what's the big shock?!

"And you are Ryo as I recall?" Goku said unsurely, as he extended his hand to the boy. Ryo merely nodded, and blushed slightly as he accepted Goku's jester. Goku's brow immediately furrowed as they shook hands, and that bothered Ryo to a small degree. "Is something wrong sir?"

"No, I guess not," Goku smirked as he let go of Ryo's hand. "You're a strong one aren't you? Very strong... Tell me, are you fully human?"

Ryo sweat dropped. "Yes, I assure you that I am fully human." Both Ryo and Goku's heads turned to the side, as they heard Vegeta humph from behind them. Ryo groaned, and furrowed his eyebrows. "Despite what some people want to think."

"Hold on a second, what do you mean by asking if he's fully human?" Videl asked wondering what the hell Goku was talking about. "What else would he be?"

"Well, he could be any number of things like…" Goku began before Gohan cut him off.

"Whoa, whoa, dad! Hold on!" Gohan once again grabbed Goku by his Gi, and pulled him off to the side. "Dad, try to be careful with what you say around Videl tonight okay? She doesn't quite know all about the Sayian thing yet. Another thing you have to consider is that she's Hercule's daughter, so try not to mention anything about us and Cell okay?"

"HERCULE'S DAUGHTER!" Goku shouted, and he nearly lost his balance.

Videl cocked and eyebrow as she watched Gohan and his father converse secretly about something. "Okay, something weird is going on here."

"Okay, okay, I'll watch what I say, but I still think you should tell her the truth," Goku told his son. "If you're really serious about her, then the longer you keep it from her and the closer you two get, the more it's going to hurt when she finds out. If you keep it from her too long, she might start to feel like she can't trust you, so be careful."

"I will dad, I promise. In fact, I'm thinking about telling her everything after the Tenkaichi is over with. Including Cell…"

"Oh yeah, why then?" Goku inquired.

"Well, I figure that Hercule's going to end up having to fight one of us eventually, and whoever does is most likely going to literally knock the snot out of him. Of course Videl is going to wonder how her father was defeated so easily, and then it might be easier to tell her since she will already have been let down a little…"

"That's a good idea son," Goku smiled proudly. "Just make sure you go through with it, and don't let things linger on… Including making your move if you know what I mean."

"Dad, cut it out!" Gohan cried, as his father elbowed him. "I do want to ask you one thing though. You are here kind of early… You do know there's a good chance your time might run out before the tournament concludes tomorrow."

"I know… But think about it. If I didn't come back tonight then I couldn't sign up for the Tenkaichi at all! Besides, I can fight anytime I want to in other world. Let's just say I have my priorities straight. Hey Goten!" Goku called as his youngest son came bounding up to him. He picked little Goten up and placed him on his shoulder, while he wrapped his other arm around his wife as she walked up to him. "There you guys are! I've only got a day, but I'm going to make the most of it. I'm not letting you guys leave my side until I absolutely have to!"

Gohan smiled as he walked through the carnival entrance right behind his father, mother, and brother. It was really nice to have his father back, even if it was only for a day. Finally, for the first time the entire family was all together.

******** 

"Man, this is good!" Goku yelled, right before inhaling another hotdog. He at one time had an entire arm full of various food items resting across his chest that quickly disappeared.

"I see your father eats like the rest of you," Videl observed.

"Part of our heritage I guess you could say," Gohan replied truthfully, and with a smile. He just couldn't stop smiling for some reason.

"So, where are we supposed to sign up for the Tenkaichi anyway?" Ryo inquired of her.

"I'm not sure…" Videl grumbled, as she scanned the area. "The registration desk should be close to the main entrance… Ah, there it is!" Videl pointed over to an area setup with several long desks, where several big burley men were talking with the monks filling out the paperwork.

"Fine, then let's get this ridiculous charade over with so we can go home!" Vegeta huffed, as the group headed towards the registration desk. Bulma, Chi-Chi, Marren, and Roshi stayed behind while the Tenkaichi participant hopeful's waited in the short line to sign up, including a reluctant Yamcha.

"I don't know if I should be doing this guys," Yamcha doubted himself. "I kind of gave up fighting a while back. If I signed up I'd probably just embarrass myself."

"Come on Yamcha, that still leaves you way ahead of most normal humans," Goku said, trying to persuade him to change his mind. "It's just not going to be the same without you. It's bad enough Tien isn't going to be here."

"For once I agree with Kakarott. If you compete at the very least that will make one less human weakling we have to suffer though watching fight!" Vegeta said, then gave Yamcha a look. "*Weak-er* anyway."

Yamcha sweat dropped. "Gee, thanks for the semi-vote of confidence Vegeta… Okay, why not. I still think it kind of makes me look like I'm trying to relive my past glory days, but maybe I still have a good fight or two left in me."

"That's the spirit!" Goku cheered. 

By the time they finished convincing Yamcha to sign up, they had already reached the front of the line. The adults allowed the two over-excited children to go first. The monk who'd been scribbling down the fighter's names on his parchment smiled down at the adorable look plastered on young Goten's face. "Names please little ones."

"Goten!" the little Demi-Sayian chirped happily.

"Trunks," Goten's friend named himself in a much more serious manner.

"I see… Two more entries for the Jr. Tournament…"

The boy's eyes lit up in horror. "JR. TOURNAMENT!"

"There's a Jr. Tournament now?" Goku asked, sounding a bit surprised. 

"Yes indeed sir. For any entry under the age of sixteen," the monk verified for him.

"Man, I'm glad that wasn't around when I first started competing." Goku snickered, and rubbed at the back of his neck. "It would've almost been a complete waste of time to even compete!"

"Man, did you hear that Goten? They're going to stick us with a bunch of snot nosed brats!" Trunks complained.

"Well, yeah but… At least we do get to fight. That's all that really matters isn't it?"

"What?! Who am I going to fight?! You?! I can fight you anytime I want!" Trunks paused, and his eyes widened thoughtfully. "Then again… When I beat you this time, I will be the World Champion won't I?"

"Hey, who says you're going to beat me again?!" Goten fired back.

"Says me."

"You will not!"

"Will too!"

"Will not!"

"Will too!"

"Will not!"

Vegeta smirked slightly, before showing the side of his personality that everyone was used to. "That's enough out of you two! You can settle this little dispute in the ring tomorrow! As for right now, get your butts out of the way so the adults can get their business over with!"

"Yes sir!" both boys chimed, nether one of them ever once daring to defy Vegeta before, and not about to anytime soon. The boy's ran off towards their mothers, with only the sounds of their on going argument lingering in the ears of everyone nearby.

"Will not."

"Will too!"

"Will not!"

"Ah, just shut up Goten!"

"Name please," the monk asked the short spiky-haired man at the front of the line. "Or at least whatever you'd like to be referred as during the tournament."

"Vegeta."

"Vegeta hey?" the monk asked thoughtfully. "That's a strange name. Is that some kind of alias of some sort?"

"No, it's my name!" Vegeta growled in disgust. "Do you have a problem with that little man?"

The monk sweat dropped. "No, not at all sir. You'll be number 86."

"Fine," Vegeta snorted, and walked away.

"Goku," he said with a smile, as he walked up to the table. 

The old monk nearly fell out of his chair. "Did you say Goku?! You're not the same Goku who won the Tenkaichi all those years ago by any chance are you?"

"What? Yeah, that's me. You mean people still remember that?" Goku laughed modestly, as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"Are you kidding?! While you might not be world famous like Mr. Hercule, you're still a legend with the insiders here at the Tenkaichi Budokai. Nobody else has a track record like yours! You made it all the way to the finals when you were still a young child. The last time you were here you almost totaled the arena while you fought with that green fellow. It sure is an honor to meet you sir, and it's a pleasure to have you back with us after all this time."

"Thank you. It's great to be back. The green guy you mentioned is back for this go around as well. We promise we'll try not to make as big of a mess this time."

Yamcha stepped up next, and gave his name somewhat reluctantly. Second thoughts were abundant in his head, but he went through with it anyway. "Yamcha hey? Another famous name amongst our ranks. It's been quite a while since you last competed as I recall."

"Well, yeah… I still haven't decided if this is part of my comeback trial, or a one time only deal…"

"I bet you remember who I am too," Krillen boasted, as he walked up to the table. "The name's Krillen."

"Krillen hey?" the old monk searched his memory. "No sorry, that name doesn't ring a bell…"

Krillen face faulted. "Oh come on! I even made it farther then Yamcha the first time!… No offense buddy," Krillen begged off, as Yamcha gave him a dirty look. "I was the same age as Goku when he made it to the finals, and I even made it to the semi's myself!"

"Oh, that's right! I remember you now. You were that short little bald fellow."

"Short little bald fellow?!" Krillen fumed, and then ran his hand through his hair. "As you can see, I'm not bald anymore! I swear I get no respect!"

The next entry clearly needed no introduction, and the monk nearly bowed down in homage when she strolled up to his table. "Miss Videl! We were wondering when you were going to make your appearance! It's an honor to have the daughter of Mr. Hercule amongst the ranks of this year's Tenkaichi. You know you're expected to make a fine showing."

"I plan on it," Videl smirked. "Hey, do you happen to know what my father's up to? He isn't here is he?"

"No, he decided to skip the carnival. He mentioned something about having some important work to do back at home."

"Knowing my dad, I'm sure he's probably locked away in that secret room of his doing some intense training before defending his title at the Tenkaichi tomorrow."

Meanwhile, back in Hercule's secret room at the Satan residence

A TV the size of a small apartment was blaring away, showing some old Jackie Chang movie on the screen. An empty pizza box, several empty cans of beer, and a half full bag of cheese puffs were scattered all over the floor. Wearing nothing but his undies, Hercule was strung upside down over his couch, a small bubble of snot poking out his nose as his chest moved up and down. "ZZZZZZZZZZZ… Ra aw wa wa, wa, whh… Take that Cell! ZZZZ Ra wa a wa ha whah… I'm am Hercule… HUCCKK ZZZZZ Whew, calm down ladies there's enough of me to go around…" Hercule snored, as that little bubble of snot popped splattering all over his sleeping face.

Back at the Carnival

"And you'll be number 91. Good luck to you Mr. Gohan."

"Thank you sir," Gohan said politely, and stepped out of line.

"Okay, next please," The monk requested without looking up. He almost jumped out of his skin, when he looked up and saw the green face staring down at him.

"The name's Majunior."

"Majunior?" Ryo asked him with one eyebrow cocked, and a smirk of amusement. 

"Yeah. I'd thought I'd go undercover. Protect my identity a bit."

"I hate to break this to you Piccolo, but how many other fighters do you see here with green skin, pointy ears, and a turban?! Just what exactly do you think you'd be hiding?!"

Piccolo's face lit up with realization. "Good point… Okay you win. The name's Piccolo."

Ryo stepped up, after the monk assigned Piccolo number 92. "Ryo," the boy introduced himself drawing a strange look from the bookkeeper. Ryo frowned at this. "Is something wrong, why are you staring at me like that?"

"Oh, no reason…" The monk trailed off, examining the rather scrawny looking boy more thoroughly. Man, he's even skinnier then that Gohan kid that was with Videl. These boys wouldn't last more then thirty seconds with someone like Hercule. This tournament may be in trouble if this is the kind of field we're going to be presented with.

Assuming the monk was done with Ryo, the last member of the group, Eighteen walked up beside Ryo. "My name is Eighteen. Yes, I said Eighteen as in the number so don't ask me any stupid questions about it."

The monks eyes widened in surprise at this new entry. This was just becoming too much for him to handle. "Um, excuse me a minute you two but… Young lady… Eighteen, and Ryo was it? Are you two in the right place? I mean, you do know this is the registration desk for the Tenkaichi don't you?"

Both of them frowned, Eighteen even deeper then usual. "Of course we know, why the hell else would be here?!" Ryo barked.

"I was afraid of that… I don't think you two know quite exactly what you're getting into. This is a very serious competition, where the combatants face serious injury and even death. I don't think this is the type of field for a young lady, and a young man who is drastically… Underdeveloped as yourself."

Eighteen rolled her eyes. "Oh spare me…"

"Are you calling me a runt?!"

"No, not at all young man… I'm just looking out for your safety that's all…"

"Thanks pops, but I think I'll be just fine!" Ryo muffed. "Besides, the Tenkaichi is set up so that anyone who wants to sign up can compete! You can't turn us away just because we don't meet your visual qualification standards!"

"Of course, you're right but I had to try… Oh well, it's not like you two would have a chance to make it past the qualifying round anyway. You'll be 93, and you're 94 young lady."

"If the qualifying round includes hurling your pointy head like a javelin across Southeast Asia, then I think I'll do just fine!" 

"Can it kid," Eighteen said as she grabbed Ryo by the cloth on his shoulder, and drug him away from the table. After she let go, Ryo dusted his shoulder off, and gave her a questioning look. "Let it go kid. What do you care what he thinks away? You know you can fight, so what does it matter what he thinks of you? That's what makes humans like him weak. They judge souly on outer appearance. You put someone like that up against someone like us, and they're drilled into the ground before they know what hit them."

"Yeah you're right," Ryo admitted, still a bit ticked however. "I get that a lot, and I usually don't let it bother me… I guess I just don't like the thought of having my strength insulted by a Pillsbury Doughboy look-a-like in a bathrobe!"

"Hey daddy, want to go on one of the rides with me?" Goten chirped happily, perched up on one of his father's broad shoulders.

Goku thought about it for a second. "Hmm… Hey, why not? I'm only back for a day, and I might not get another chance to spend a lot of time with my son. How about you Chi-Chi?"

"Well I suppose so… Like you said, we only have one day," Chi-Chi reiterated, as she looped her arms around Goku's free arm.

"Are you coming to Gohan?" Goten asked his older brother. "Then it will be like the whole family!"

Gohan thought about saying yes, when he remembered Videl was still with them. Videl smiled slightly, and backed away feeling a bit left out. "You go ahead Gohan. I don't mind, I'll wait for you."

"Why don't you come too Videl?" Chi-Chi asked her. "You're practically part of the family now."

"Yeah!" Goten seconded his mother's motion. "Come on, it'll be fun!"

"I don't want to intrude… I'd feel kind of out of place, so you guys go ahead…"

"Wait, hold up a second!" Ryo shouted, as he ran up in between Gohan and Videl, then walked up to the Son family. "Sorry, but they can't. They've already got plans for this evening."

"No we don't," Gohan said looking a bit confused.

"That's what you think," Ryo muttered under his breath, as he turned to Gohan's parents. "You'll have to excuse them. I guess they were a little embarrassed to tell you, but they kind of already have a little something going on this evening…"

Ryo leaned in close, and whispered something to Goku and Chi-Chi hoping that neither Videl nor Gohan could hear him. Both members of the Son family looked confused at first, until Ryo finished his explanation. Both their faces lit up, both smiling in a rather strange way, at least that's the way it looked to Gohan and Videl anyway.

"What the hell is he doing?" Videl asked Gohan. Gohan just shrugged his shoulders.

"Oh, is that all?!" Goku laughed, wearing his trademark smile. "In that case, you guys go right ahead! We'll catch up with you later!"

"But we weren't planning on going anywhere…" Gohan muttered but apparently no one was listening.

"Keep a close on them for me Ryo," Chi-Chi smirked mischievously. "Make sure they don't have *too much* fun."

"I will Mrs. Son. I'll see you guys later tonight."

"Awe, they're not coming! Why not?!" Goten pouted. The little guy just couldn't understand what his parents seemed so tickled about.

"The thing is Goten, your brother is well…" Goku whispered something into his son's ear that made the boy grin in a fashion almost identical to his father. "Oh, okay! I get it now! Bye Gohan! Bye Videl! Have fun!"

"Oh wonderful, now your bother's in on it," Videl groaned, as she watched the rest of the Son family head off on their way. In the meantime, Ryo was walking back over to them grinning like an idiot.

"What did you tell my parents Ryo?!" Gohan demanded, drawing nothing by a giggle from his alleged friend.

"Oh nothing…"

"Don't give us nothing!" Videl jumped in. "I know that look! You're up to something!"

"Oh come on, what makes you think I'm up to something?" Ryo asked innocently.

"Because you're always up to something!"

"Hmm, good point. I guess you're just going to have to wait and find out then," Ryo teased, putting a hand on each of their backs as they started walking.

"So, what did you want to ride Goten?" Goku asked his son. 

"How about that one?!" Goten sang, as he pointed at a ride with several assortments of three bubble shaped cars attached to a steel circle.

"What? The Tilt-o-Whirl? If that's what you want. Now, why don't you go stand in line for us? I have something I want to discuss with your mother privately okay?"

"Yes sir!" Goten leapt out of his father's arms, and charged straight for the rather short line.

Chi-Chi looked at her husband thoughtfully. He was still staring at Goten as he scooted on his way, appearing almost disheartened as he did so. That just wasn't normal for Goku. "Is something wrong honey? You said you wanted to talk to me?…"

Goku didn't say anything for a moment. Once he finally did, he answered with a most unexpected question. "Why didn't you guys wish me back Chi-Chi?"

Chi-Chi's face lit up with confusion. "That's… That's the way you wanted it wasn't it? You were worried you'd endanger the Earth with your presence, so you decided to stay in other world. You told us not to wish you back, don't you remember?"

"Well yeah, but now it's different!" Goku cried, having difficultly finding the words to express what he was feeling. "I mean Goten! If I had known I had another son on the way I would've come back! It totally changes things… You had to raise him all by yourself without…"

"Goku, don't beat yourself up about that," Chi-Chi smiled sweetly, as she took her husbands hands in hers. "We got along without you… It wasn't easy, but we managed. Gohan did his best to fill the void you left behind with your noble sacrifice. I might want to smack you upside the head sometimes for leaving me alone like that, but I understand why you did what you did. It was for the good of the world…"

"I know, but I just… I feel like a rotten father! I have a seven-year-old son who's lived his entire life without knowing his father… I completely missed Gohan growing up! Everything's just so different now. I find out I have another son, Krillen has hair and is married to a former android that once tried to destroy the planet, Vegeta's actually halfway tolerable to be around now, and Gohan even has a girlfriend! I come back here after seven years, and it's like I don't know anybody anymore… It's amazing how life's changed without me. Coming back kind of makes me realize everything I've been missing… Especially with you, Gohan, and Goten…"

"So, are you starting to regret your decision to stay in Other World?"

"I've regretted it every single day since the moment I made that decision!" Goku stated bluntly. "I just never realized how much until now. I suppose I made the right decision. Earth has been peaceful since I've been gone."

"That's true, but if you want my honest opinion Goku, I think most of us thought Earth was a much safer place to live with you in it."

Goku replied only with a delayed smile before they realized that they'd walked all the way over to the very line Goku had sent Goten to stand in moments earlier. The little boy jumped up and down, yapping excitedly to get his parents attention. To their surprise, they found Trunks standing along side him along with Bulma, and yes even Vegeta. 

"Hey, what are you guys doing here?" Goku asked curiously.

Vegeta grunted, knowing the question was directed towards him for the most part. "What do you think Kakarott? The boy wanted us to go on this confounded human contraption with him for some reason. Let's just get this thing over with, and go home! We've got a lot to do tomorrow!"

Ryo never did tell Videl or Gohan what he had told Gohan's parents, but they forgot about that for the time being. The trio was a little busy, rather guilty, having a good time at what they had thought would be a rather corny and childish amusement event. They soon found themselves in front of one of those famous fun houses, (You know, the ones you see in movies and on TV at all the amusement parks, but never actually find one in any of the actual local fairs and entertainment venues) and decided to take a peak inside. They happened to run into Erasa and Sharpner somewhere along the way. 

"Hey there guys! What's up?!" Erasa waved to them.

"Hey, Erasa…" Videl frowned, and snorted. "Sharpner…"

"Hey babe, good to see you to," Sharpner spoke only for himself despite his opinion to the contrary. He then shot a dirty look over to the boys she was with and grunted. "Oh, and you two…"

"Hey Sharpner, was that a dirty look, or is your face usually that ugly?" Ryo jeered, causing Gohan to cover his mouth to keep from laughing out loud. 

"You think you're funny huh smart ass! And what are you laughing at hillbilly boy?!" Sharpner seethed, only adding to Ryo and Gohan's amusement. "You don't know who you're messing with, I could break both of you in half like a pretzel!"

"Yes, I assure you Sharpner that the fruit in our looms are shaking," Ryo said with disinterest, as he and Gohan walked off behind Videl and Erasa's lead.

"Hey, where do you two think you're going?! Don't walk away from me while I'm threatening you, get back here!"

As it seems to be unavoidable in these funhouse type attractions, the young group of teens eventually stumbled into that room with all the trick mirrors lining the walls. Videl found herself amused by how easily Erasa was amused by playing with her reflection in many of the different panes of glass that consisted of everything from the one that made her look tall, and even the one that made her look rather short and fat. In the meantime, Sharpner began to laugh hysterically at one mirror that showed a particularly amusing image of himself.

"Look at this one guys! It makes my forehead look big and pointy, and my face kind of looks all funny and distorted…"

Ryo walked up next to Sharpner, and cocked an eyebrow when he saw only his usual reflection staring back at him. "Sharpner, this is just a regular mirror."

Sharpner stopped laughing, and face faulted. "WHAT?!"

Gohan snickered again, as he watched Sharpner feel up his forehead. His attention quickly fell to Ryo as he walked up next to him, finally seeing an opportunity to talk to him alone.

"Hey Ryo… I don't know what you're up to, but whatever it is please call it off. I told you that I wanted to handle this thing with Videl on my own."

"What makes you and Videl think I'm up to something all the time?! What exactly have I ever done to you two to make you guys think I'm…" Ryo sweat dropped at the look Gohan was giving him. "Okay, don't answer that. Look, I wanted to respect that, but at the rate you're going I'll be reading my grandkids bedtime stories by the time you work up the nerve to make a move! Look, you admitted to me that you had feelings for her that day on Dende's lookout, so what's the big problem anyway?! I don't blame you at all for wanting to even the score with her by playing dumb a little longer, but don't you think you've dragged it on long enough?"

"I know, I meant it when I said that… I swear I was only planning on playing with her for a couple days, it's just…" Gohan sighed, and lowered his shoulders dejectedly. "It's a lot harder then I thought I would be… I look her in the eyes, or I hear her talk and I just… I completely break down. I can't talk without stuttering, the words I want to say never come out of my mouth the way I want them too, I start sweating, and I can't seem to think straight…"

"Damn, you have it worse then I thought," Ryo scratched his chin thoughtfully. "You seem to be going through all the normal stages. First denial, and now spine numbing fear. I know exactly what you're feeling Gohan. I've gone through the exact same thing, and I'll warn you now that it doesn't get any better. Especially if you don't come out in the open with your feelings…"

Now Gohan looked truly mortified. "You mean it gets worse then this?!"

Ryo nodded his head in confirmation. "This is nothing compared to what you might face in the future. You however, are not going to have to worry about that, because we're going to get you two together one way or the other."

"It's not that simple Ryo… I'm happy with just being friends, and I don't want to screw that up… Besides, I just don't see why someone like her would want anything to do with the likes of me…"

"I'm not even going to dignify that with an answer… Okay, I'll give you one anyway, get a life Gohan! You saw the way she was flirting with you during your little flying session, or how she was pretending to have problems with it just to spend time with you! She obviously has a thing for you, why can't you still not see that!" Gohan failed to reply and stared off into nothing. Ryo just sighed and shook his head. "Gohan, do yourself a favor. Don't make the same mistake I did. I use to think holding in my feelings was for the best, because I didn't want to ruin my friendship with someone I cared about. I found out later that that was the worst thing I could've done. It eats away inside of you, and sometimes even takes control over the way you act and think. The longer you hold your feelings inside, the worse the effect might be when you finally do let it all out… Don't fall into the same trap I'm stuck in right now Gohan… Let's say it doesn't work out , it's going to hurt a lot for a while, but the pain will fade with time… You hold it all inside then it's going to hurt you for days, weeks, months, or in my case even years... Doesn't make a lot of sense once you think about it does it?"

"Guess not…" Gohan said absently. He didn't comment on the subject any further, but he was clearly thinking about it despite the fact that he soon changed the subject. "I wonder if my dad's having fun during his time back on Earth?"

"Wee!" Goten laughed as his egg-shaped ride spun around and around at a moderately fast pace. He was wedged between his mother, who looked reluctant but otherwise fine, and his father whose head was bobbing up and down groggily.

"Is something wrong Goku?" Chi-Chi asked him, noticing he was looking rather flushed.

"Whoa, I don't feel so good…" Goku groaned, as he grabbed his stomach. "I don't think it was such a good idea to eat as much as I did before getting on this ride… Oh gulck…"

Goku covered his mouth, but that couldn't stop it from releasing a gush of undigested food spewing outside of the car. Chi-Chi cringed, as she heard a sickening splat and the disgusted cries of a young family. "Sorry about that!…" Goku grunted. "Man, I wonder who I hit?"

"ACK! KAKAROTT, DISGUSTING!"

Goku face faulted. "Oops…"

Goten laughed. "Ha, ha! You barfed on Trunks!"

----------

"Are you okay Gohan?" Videl asked worriedly, noticing her friend seemed a bit distant. 

Gohan blinked in surprise. "Huh? Oh yeah, I'm fine Videl…"

"You don't look fine to me," Videl frowned at his unconvincing reply. "Nothing's bothering you is it? You're not upset because you're stuck spending the evening with me are you?"

"No, not at all!" Gohan snickered slightly. "In fact, the exact opposite… I'm just thinking about some things?"

  
"About what?" Videl inquired curiously. 

About you mostly… That's what Gohan wanted to say, but of course that would most likely be the last thing to come out of his mouth once he opened it. "Well Videl I was… Ah, it's nothing… Never mind. Just forget I said anything."

Gohan got quiet again, and slowed down purposely so he'd fall a bit behind Videl. She noticed this, and it irritated her somewhat but mostly just heightened her concern. Still, staying true to her character, Videl just grunted in disgust and walked a little faster until she had pulled away considerably from her lagging friend. If he wasn't willing to talk to her, then to hell with him, she didn't care what his problem was. 

Ryo groaned, as he watched Gohan stray away from Videl. Things weren't going the way they were supposed to at all. Ryo walked up to Gohan, and soon noticed a possible answer to this dilemma. The old Ferris Wheel, a staple in any type of local fair or carnival that was worth it's salt. A broad smile crossed Ryo's face as he looked up at it. "Man that brings back memories."

"What does?" Gohan asked, assuming Ryo was addressing him. 

"The old Ferris Wheel. A lot of sentimental value I guess you could say. I had some of the most memorable moments of my life on one of those old things. I think they're kind of majestic and special in a way. A carnival, fair, or circus, or whatever you want to call it would just seem kind of naked without one."

"I'm glad you like them so much…" Gohan mumbled. "Just looks like a big wheel to me."

Ryo frowned slightly, but quickly got over it. "Hey, why don't you ask Videl to take a ride? It would be a great opportunity for you to get her alone, and maybe work up the nerve to talk with her."  


"I can't do that!" Gohan cried with a look of pure horror. "Wouldn't that be kind of forward?…"

Ryo's face flattened into straight lines in typical anime fashion. "Did a big chunk of the moon hit you on the head after Piccolo blew it up?! Just go ask her, the worse she could do is tell you no! You don't even really want to do it anyway, so what are you worried about?!"

Ryo shoved Gohan forward. Gohan looked back at Ryo nervously, and then proceeded towards Videl. She'd slowed down purposely, now that her anger had faded, hoping he'd catch up to her. She was just too worried about him to be mad at him long. "Hey Videl…"

Videl nearly jumped out of her skin. "Oh, hey Gohan… What's up?"

"You know I was just wondering… I'm getting kind of tired of all the walking and the crowds, so I wanted to ask if maybe you wanted to take a spin around the Ferris Wheel?…"

Videl snickered slightly at this. "The Ferris Wheel? That's more of a kids ride isn't it? You don't think two practically grown teenagers would look rather childish on that thing?"

Gohan smirked. "So what's your point?"

Videl returned a grin of her own. Her first inkling was to say hell no, but the more she thought about it the more she realized spending a few minutes in a small enclosed space with Gohan wouldn't be that bad of a deal after all. "Okay Gohan… It's not like I've got anything better to do."

The line wasn't relatively long, and it wasn't long before they were boarding one of the cars. Ryo waved to them before they disappeared inside. "You two have fun, and make sure you behave yourselves! Maybe you'll even get lucky and get stuck at the top!"

Videl crossed her arms. "That never actually happens Ryo! What in the world would you expect us to do up there anyway?!"

Ryo grinned evilly. "You don't want anything to do with what's swimming around in my head right now Videl."

"I'll take your word for it! I'm sure I don't!" Videl said, as she and Gohan disappeared inside the car.

It wasn't a traditional Ferris Wheel as you'd normally picture in your head. It was the enclosed car type with two seats, and four walls with two windows on each side of the passengers so they could look out. A few minutes past silently and awkwardly. Both Videl and Gohan stayed quiet, both blushing and slightly unsure of what they should say or do. Gohan for one was putting the silence to good use, thinking over if and how he should take Ryo's advice and voice what he was feeling…

What am I so afraid of! She obviously cares about me… I'm not sure why, but I can't pretend I don't see it anymore. I know I want to tell her, but am I really so concerned over what might happen? She could shoot me down, laugh at me, or even worse… I certainly don't want Videl angry with me when we're stuck together in a small space like this… I might as well be locked in a cage with a rabid hyena! I'd walk out with less bruises and scrapes. But Ryo's right, I can't hold this in forever… I don't want what happened to him to happen to me… I see how depressed he gets sometimes, and that look he gets in his eyes whenever someone talks about her… I don't want to look back on my life ten years from now, and wish I could go back and do all this differently. I might as well do it right, while I'm here right now! I suppose there's no better time then the present…

"Um Videl…"

"Yes Gohan," Videl said anxiously, thankful for the break in the silence.

That's when Gohan made his first mistake. He looked into those soft blue eyes of hers, and it was over. His body turned to jelly, and everything Ryo had told him sounded like it was in Swahili at the moment. "Oh… It's nothing Videl. Never mind…"

Videl frowned at this. "No, you were about to say something, now what was it?!"

"It was nothing Videl really… I…"

"Don't give me that crap! I know it isn't nothing! You've been acting strange all night! Why won't you talk to me?!"

"I… I… I'm trying! I'm just not…"

"Hey kid, what's up?" Krillen asked Ryo, wondering why in the world the boy was staring up at the Ferris Wheel with such interest.

"Gohan and Videl are up there," Ryo told him. 

"Oh really now?" Krillen snickered assumingly. "And I thought he said they were just friends. So, tell me Ryo, what's really up with those two now huh?"

"Well, as for right now nothing, just like Gohan's been claiming," Ryo replied to Krillen's disappointment. "It's a work in progress though. They've got a thing for each other, but they're having problems dealing with it I guess you could say. Hey, I think that's them just about at the top there."

"Ah, I see. Maybe Gohan will get lucky, and they'll get stuck up there."

"You know… That's not a bad idea," Ryo smiled wickedly, as he formed a weak ball of Ki in his hand. His eyes shifted towards the ride attendant who conveniently had his back turned to the controls that ran the ride. Presented with this golden opportunity, Ryo fired the small quick blast into the controls. The slight popping sound alerted the carnival worker, who turned around and his face grew wide with horror to see the ride's controls sparkling slightly before another small pop set fire to the panel. All the lights on the Ferris Wheel went out, as the gears made a high pitched whining sound before coming to a complete stop. 

"What the hell happened?!" Videl cried, as the car went dark, and came to a sudden and shaky halt. At least the lights from outside illuminated the small car somewhat. 

"We stopped!"

"Well duh!" Videl huffed, still a little irritated with Gohan from before. "What I want to know is how?! This is too weird, it's just what Ryo said was going to happen!"

"Funny, I don't think it's that weird," Gohan grumbled, as he looked out the window. Sure enough, his sensitive Sayian eyes eventually found Ryo and Krillen waving at him, both grinning like idiots. Gohan turned a bit red, as he gritted his teeth. "Ryo!… I'm going to kill him… Man, this is ridiculous! Now we're stuck up here for who knows how long!"

Videl made a low growling sound in her throat. "Oh yeah, I can imagine how horrible being stuck up here with me might seem! Look, if you find it that distressing, why don't you just jump out of the side of the car! You know how to fly!"

"And have a few hundred people see me do it?! My ability to fly isn't something I'd like to be common knowledge you know Videl!"

"Then stop your whining and sit there! We might be stuck up here a while, so live with it!"

"Whoa, that was evil Ryo," Krillen said after a whistle of admiration. "I wish I'd thought of it. You know, I like you kid. You're all right."

"Hey, I'm not evil, just persistent," Ryo smirked. "Well maybe a little… Hey, they'll thank me for pushing them so hard eventually."

"Well, they're probably going to be up there a while, before they get that thing fixed." Krillen turned towards Ryo. "You want to go grab a hotdog or something? It's on me."

"Sure, why not?"

Gohan eyed Videl cautiously. She hadn't spoken to him for a few minutes, and she didn't exactly look all that happy. Gohan took a deep breath, and decided this would be as good of a time as any. "I'm sorry Videl…"

Videl sighed herself, and continued to stare out the window. "Don't worry about it Gohan… I know nobody wants to get stuck in a situation like this, so I shouldn't have gotten mad…"

"It's not that," Gohan admitted. "You were already mad anyway…"

Videl's brow furrowed deeper, as she turned to look at him. "Then what are you apologizing for?!" 

"For ignoring you… For not talking to you about this sooner… I have noticed you've been flirting with me a little, and well…"

"I have not!…" Videl started to argue, but stopped. Instead, she dipped her head a bit, and laughed rather weakly. "I was wondering if you even noticed… You sure don't act like it…"

"I know, and that's what I'm sorry for. I didn't really want to ignore you… It's just that I'm…"

"Not interested, I know…" Videl answered for him. "I can take a hint. Still, I wish you would've just told me! I'm big girl, I could've handled it!"

"No, it's not that Videl… In fact, it's almost the exact opposite," Gohan said with a smile, as Videl's eyes widened slightly. "I was just kind of frightened by this entire thing… The way I was feeling I mean…"

"The way you were feeling?" Videl asked shakily, feeling her hands twitching a bit. "What exactly do you mean?…"

"I'm not sure myself… I've never gone through something like this before, and I'm just not sure how to handle it. Whenever I've been faced with a life-altering situation before, I always had my dad or Piccolo to turn to for guidance and advice. This is something that really nobody can help me with… Ryo's helped me a lot, but he nor anybody else can help break these chains that seem to be shackling me down… Only I can do that, and I'm just not ready yet. It's going to take time… I'm sorry Videl, but I need a little more time to figure this thing out, so if you could wait just a little longer…"

Videl thought about it a moment, and smiled. "Okay… I can't wait forever for you Gohan, but I'll wait a little longer… You should know by now that I'm not the patient type."

"Don't I know it," Gohan giggled, but it didn't help to break the tension. "Thanks Videl, but I needed to get that off my chest… I'm glad somebody finally drilled some sense into my head about that… I do feel a lot better…"

"Good… It's a load off my shoulders too," Videl said softly, as she laid her head down of Gohan's shoulder. He blushed a bit in surprise, but didn't argue in the least. "You know, I really hate you for doing this to me…"

"Doing what to you?"

"You'll find out when you're ready… You know, with all you've put me through, you better be damn worth the wait…"

"I'll try to be…" Gohan said, and left it at that. They stayed silent for a while with Videl practically nodding off as she rested against him. Gohan had to admit that Ryo was right about one thing… Maybe there was something about Ferris Wheel's after all.

End

__

Preview of Chapter Fourteen! _The Tenkaichi Budokai begins, including the preliminaries, drawing, and a brief mention of the Jr. Tournament. I don't really know why most authors skip the drawing, I always thought that was one of the most interesting parts of the stories. I for one am going to try to something with it that may be a little untraditional. I don't really have any type of tournament format planned out yet, though I have a general idea as to how I want things to work out. I think I'm actually going to do a drawing of my own as I write, and work with whatever pairings I come up with. Unless they're completely crappy, then I might do a little tinkering. I don't know yet, I'll have to see what happens first._

  



	14. Chapter 14

-Howdy! Wahoo! I finally finished chapter 14! I'm sorry it took so long, but it ran a lot longer then I thought it would. I kind of slacked on my editing a bit for this chapter, so I'm sorry if there are more errors then I usually make. I kind of rushed through it last night, because I didn't want to have to wait another week to post this chapter. I didn't notice anything too distracting however… Well, I hope this was worth your wait! Read and enjoy!

-Disclaimer: Hold on let me check… Damn! My last check bounced, so I still don't own DBZ… Oh well, only the Ray Lien ninja's, Taro, and Takura come from my sick and twisted imagination. 

Chapter 14

Ryo twitched with nervous anxiety. In a matter of mere minutes the hover bus would be landing on the small island that was home to the Tenkaichi, where he would test his strength amongst the greatest fighters on Earth, and do it in front of a gathering of over 100, 000 people. However, that wasn't what he was nervous about at the moment. Gohan was slumped against Ryo's shoulder from the seat next to him snoring softly, and Ryo feared Gohan would begin drooling on him at any second. All he knew was that everything else about a Sayian seemed to be heightened compared to a human, so he could only assume that Sayian saliva would be just that much more disgusting.

"Gohan, wake up!" Ryo nudged him with his elbow, tarring the boy away from whatever he'd been dreaming about. 

"Huh, what?… Are we there?"

"We'll be landing in about ten minutes, so you might want to wake up!" Ryo snapped, not appreciating being used as a pillow all that much. "We don't want you sleep walking through the entire Tenkaichi now do we?"

"Well, I'm sorry, but I was sleepy!" Gohan yawned, as his eyes finally opened fully. "We didn't get down from that damn Ferris Wheel until midnight last night! I had like three hours of sleep before I woke up to Goten jumping up and down on my chest, screaming it was time to leave!"

"Well, why did you have to pass out on my shoulder?! It's not like it was my fault!" Ryo said, trying hard not to giggle.

Gohan's jaw dropped at his nerve. "Not your fault! You're the one who short circuited the damn ride, and got us stuck up there!"

"Blah, blah, whine, bitch, moan!"

"You know, I only have one thing to say to you about that little stunt you pulled last night Ryo," Gohan said, looking quite serious.

"And what is that?"

A small grin found Gohan's lips. "Thanks."

"No problem," Ryo said, as he returned a smile of his own. "So, did you talk to her?"

"Yeah… Everything seems to be all right… It's just like you said, I felt a whole lot better last night then I have in ages once I got all that off my chest… I told her the truth… That I wasn't quite ready to face what was going on between us just yet, and she agreed to wait a little longer…"

"How long are you going to make her wait?"

"Not much longer… Probably tonight or tomorrow, sometime after the tournament anyway. She's bound to have some questions if she and her father fail to make it that far in the Tenkaichi. I realized when she was sleeping against my shoulder last night how much I wanted to be with her, and that I really didn't want to wait myself for much longer… I'm going to tell her everything. About me being part Sayian, about Cell, and everything else…"

"So suddenly?" Ryo asked, looking quite surprised. "Well, that is a good thing, but I'm kind of surprised to hear you say that. You're not afraid of how she might react anymore? Just a few days ago you were afraid that once she found out about everything you really were, then she wouldn't talk to you, or have anything to do with you ever again."

"And that still worries me…" Gohan sighed. "But I have to do this… I don't want to say I'm in love yet, because I'm not sure… Falling in love maybe, but I'm not sure if I'm quite there yet. I have to get things sorted out before that happens. If our relationship is going to grow into anything serious, then there are a lot of things she's going to have to learn to accept about me to make it work… If she is going to freak out when I tell her and decide to have nothing else to do with me, then I'd rather her do it now rather then later, and risk digging myself in a hole so deep I can't dig myself out. If she breaks my heart now, it would hurt a lot less then if she did when she finds me out later, and I find I've already gotten too attached."

Ryo stared off into nothing. "In other words… You don't want to end up like me…"

"Well no, but I think that's more your own fault then anything else Ryo. Maybe you should try taking your own advice one of these days."

"What do you mean by that?" Ryo asked somewhat defensively, turning a bit pink.

"What I mean is that you've been pushing me to open up my heart, and kept telling me how good it would feel to get all of my feelings out in the open. Well, you were right, it is a huge load off my chest, but why do I have this sinking feeling that you've never done the exact same thing you pushed me to do? Have you Ryo?"

Ryo lowered his head, now glowing full-blown red. "Well no, but… My situation is different…"

"How is it any different?"

"Well, for one Videl actually feels the same way about you that you feel about her… I don't have that luxury. She has her own destiny to live out… We all have our own road in life that we're meant to go down. While mine might always seem to twist and turn until it leads me right back to her, I was just a little speed bump on hers. She might have meant a lot to me, but to her I was just another face that came into her life and left just as quick."

"For some reason I have an awful hard time believing that. What makes you so sure she feels that way? Is that what she told you?" Gohan wondered.

"Well… No, not in as many words but…" Ryo chose his words carefully. "She hasn't done anything to convince me to the contrary either…"

"But how can you be sure if you've never approached her about it? What if she does feel the same way about you? Did you ever stop to think you might be doing the exact same thing to her that she's doing to you?… Or maybe what you've been doing to yourself."

"There's other issues involved that I'm not at liberty to discuss," Ryo said somewhat guiltily.

"What's the problem? You don't trust me enough to talk about it?" Gohan frowned, feeling a bit insulted.

"That has nothing to do with it Gohan. Like I've told you before, I refuse to betray one friend's trust for another. Just like I would never tell her anything you've told me in confidence. Like about the half-alien thing and all."

"Well when you put it that way…" Gohan smiled a bit. "Still, you can't give me one good reason as to why you're convinced you have no chance with her? You haven't seen her with somebody else in the future have you?"

Ryo appeared to ponder that question for a moment. "Now that you mention it, I haven't really seen much as far as her future goes. I usually can see little bits and pieces of people's futures, at least those I'm closest to, but I've never seen any of hers at all as far as I remember…"

Gohan looked thoughtful. "Well… That's more then likely a good thing isn't it?"

"What makes you say that?"

"Well… You're the one who told me you couldn't see your own future. Maybe that has something to do with why you can't see hers."

Ryo feel silent, and Gohan took that as a sign that he'd gotten the point through to him. Ryo, ever the eternal pessimism when it came to his own personal life, hadn't stopped to consider that even once. The boys had been conversing rather quietly so to avoid the ease dropping that was bound to occur with so many people in that small-enclosed area. Krillen and Chi-Chi had practically bent over backwards trying to hear their whispers, but heard little if anything they could use against Gohan. Goku, already aware of his son's admiration for the young Satan girl, had little reason to listen in but overheard parts of the conversation and smiled anyway. He was more concerned with watching Goten anyway, who had passed out asleep in his father's lap some time ago. Eighteen was staring out one of the windows, and Yamcha and the Ox King were oblivious to anything of the sort at the moment. Bulma was concentrating on flying, while Trunks was consumed in coming up with evil ways to wake up Goten before they landed. Piccolo's sensitive ears picked up every word the boys had shared, and smiled somewhat affectionately at the obvious bond his two pupils had developed in such a short time. He felt particularly happy for Gohan. It was nice to see he finally had someone his own age to relate to, something he'd always lacked living out in the country for so long. Vegeta, as always, couldn't have cared less if he tried.

"Hey, there's the island! We're here," Yamcha announced, as Bulma was already making her decent. "I'm not sure if that's a good thing for me or not…"

"Don't worry about it Yamcha," Krillen told him. "You're an old pro. You'll handle yourself just fine."

Vegeta humphed. "Is that some sort of fancy human way of saying he's washed up?"

Yamcha sweat dropped. "Come to think of it, that is what it kind of sounds like isn't it?… Is it to late to back out now?"

********

The welcome the fighters received as they entered the arena the Tenkaichi was to be held bordered along the lines of impressive and annoying. Several monks greeted the fighters as they came through the gate, and a small army of reporters ambushed every poor unfortunate soul that happened to wander too close to their cameras. They were hoping to get the inside track on anyone who might be the next big Tenkaichi star, or as they were whispering behind their backs, the next punching bag for Hercule. Luckily, with a few menacing glares from Vegeta, and the cold shoulder from the rest of the Z-senshi, they managed to avoid that little nuisance. Chi-Chi, Bulma, and company had already departed to find a good seat in the stands after they managed to pry Goku off of her and Goten. The one thing he regretted about signing up for the tournament was how it limited the time he got to spend with his family… Oh well, maybe he'd at least get a chance to say good-bye later on.

"I wonder if Videl's here yet?" Gohan asked, as he searched the area.

"Well, all we really have to do is find the biggest crowd," Ryo replied. "That crowd will most likely be surrounding Hercule, and undoubtedly Videl should be with him."

"I still can't believe Videl's that goofs daughter," Krillen cracked, almost like it was a reflex. "I don't see the resemblance at all. She must take after her mother, but then again I question the type of woman that would marry someone like that… She was either brain dead or a saint."

"Well, they say there's someone for everybody… She must've been a very patient and understanding woman though… Now that I think about it, Videl did say he was never quite like he is now when she was alive…"

"Probably because she wasn't around to keep him in line," Eighteen said, much to the surprise of the other Z-senshi. She never joined in on casual conversation, and even more shocking yet was that almost sounded like a joke. "What are you guys looking at?"

"Well, you go ahead and look for you girlfriend Gohan. The rest of us are going to see if we can find out where they're holding the qualifying round," Goku said, as he and the rest of the crew separated from Gohan and Ryo. "See you there!"

"She's not my girlfriend dad!" Gohan whined, but no one was listening to him. 

Ryo smirked as he looked his friend's way. "You might want to get out of that habit Gohan. You might not be able to say that in a couple of days."

Gohan frowned at him. "Don't you start! I don't even want to think about that right now! I'll worry about all that after the Tenkaichi…"

"If you're not worried about it, then why are you looking so franticly to find her?"

"Don't you remember the reason you drug me here in the first place?!" Gohan barked irritably, a bit annoyed at where he knew Ryo was headed. "You said Videl was going to be in trouble! If the Ray Lien are going after her again, that doesn't mean they'll wait for the actual tournament itself to strike! I want to make sure she's safe… I'll be worried until I know we've taken care of this little problem…"

"Are you sure it isn't a little bit of both?" Ryo teased.

"Shut up Ryo! Her well being is my only concern right now! Whatever I'm feeling for her doesn't matter right now! I'm not wasting time worrying about anything else at the moment!"

"Of course, but what's the reason you're so worried about her?"

Gohan groaned, as he nearly tripped over his feet at such a stupid question. "Of course that's the reason Ryo! Yes, I do really want to see her, but right now it's more so I can protect her, rather than for my own selfish reasons… Come on, are you going to tell me that you wouldn't be acting all paranoid and frantic if you knew Amy was in trouble?"

"Would, and have," Ryo replied. "I'm not faulting you for it at all Gohan, I just wanted to get you to admit it. I also know that I personally enjoyed the excuse to be close to her, so I can only imagine you do as well."

"Well it is a bonus…" Gohan smiled. "But I still rather not have her be in mortal danger for an excuse to get close to her."

"She doesn't need to be in trouble for you to be close to her Gohan. I'm sure she'll accept an excuse as simple as that you needed a little extra body heat if you know what I mean?"

"I don't even want to know what you meant by that?!" Gohan winced. "Can we just focus on finding Videl?!"

"Sure no problem." Ryo turned to his right, and pointed towards a huge crowd amassed around some sort of small podium. Actually, it was s huge landing strip where Hercule's private jet had just landed. "I'm rather positive we'll find her right over there."

Gohan gave Ryo a bit of a look. "When did you notice that?"

"Oh, about five minutes ago," Ryo said, flashing a toothy grin.

Gohan nearly fell over. "I really hate you, you know that?"

"Well, I don't have any idea what type of competition I'll be up against this year, but the Tenkaichi Budokai draws the most skilled fighters from around the world," Hercule spoke, laying it on as thick as he could for the masses of reporters that had flocked to him the second he stepped out of his jet. "However, the best in the world has just arrived, and I'll go out on a limb and predict yet a another victory for your hero the great Hercule!" 

Hercule growled, and sported the victory sign above his head to the massive approval and applause to everyone in the crowd. Videl grunted, and turned her head away from her father's public display of arrogance. No matter how founded his claim might be, or as so she thought, he could still be annoying at times like this. "Here he goes again."

"Of course my stiffest competition this year will probably come from my own flesh and blood, meaning my very own daughter Videl of course," Hercule boasted with pride, as he put his arm across Videl's shoulders. About two dozen different sets of flashes from cameras went off trying to catch the very essence of the world famous father-daughter duo. 

"So Videl, how do you feel about entering your first Tenkaichi Budokai at the adult level, and the possibility of facing your own father somewhere along the way?" one of the reporters asked her.

Videl growled, and turned her head away. "I don't do pre-match interviews! If you want to talk to me then wait until after the Tenkaichi, and then I'll tell you how I feel."

Many members of the media seemed a little distressed by this as they began to look back and forth to each other, rambling on about what they should do. A pre-tournament interview with the daughter of the man who defeated Cell meant big ratings, and like the vultures they were would've normally circled her ailing body until she collapsed allowing them to swoop down before her corpse had time to die. However, Videl didn't give them a whole lot of choice, as she walked away from the crowd right after giving them a look to let them know the consequences if they dared followed her. The reporters mourned for all of three seconds before once again swarming a more then willing to oblige Hercule. 

Videl smiled as she saw two welcomed faces push their way through the mass of humanity, well she'd notice Ryo was there later on anyway. "Hey Gohan! I'm glad to see you made it."

"Yeah, we're here. I've been looking all over for you!"

"Well, I just got here a couple minutes ago, so that would explain why you couldn't find me," Videl smirked a bit before frowning as she looked back at the assembled sea of the media. "It's not all that hard to track down a Satan… Just look wherever the most camera lenses are at."

"That's what I told him," Ryo said, as he walked up beside Gohan.

Videl's eyes widened slightly just then realizing Ryo was even on the same planet. "Oh hey Ryo… Didn't notice you there. It's good to see you too…"

"You didn't notice me?!" Ryo frowned playfully, and then smiled as he looked straight at Gohan. "Oh, I get it. You were distracted. You should've seen Gohan over here, going all frantic to find you. He couldn't wait to see you."

"Oh really?" Videl blushed, probably more from Ryo's comment about her, then the one regarding Gohan.

"Are you kidding?! I'd say it's good to see you too, but I'm sick of you already. That's all I heard the entire trip here. Videl this, and Videl that. It wasn't hard to see what track his mind was on this morning. He even mumbled your name a couple of times after he feel asleep… What was that you said… Ewe, a little lower Videl. Yeah, right there."

"Shut up Ryo!" Gohan growled, and took a swipe at Ryo that sailed over his head. Gohan knew Ryo would duck it easily, it was merely to punctuate his point anyway. "I did not say anything like that!… Um, did I?"

Ryo smiled evilly. "Wouldn't you like to know."

"Now wait a second here!" Videl jumped in, and pulled Gohan around to face her. She was wearing a grin vile enough to match Ryo's. "I don't recall giving you permission to dream about me! Who do you think you are anyway?!"

"Son Gohan for the time being," Gohan replied smugly. "And I don't recall asking for your permission. I'll dream about you whenever I feel like it, thank you very much."

Videl blushed, taken back by a very un Gohan like reply, but managed a smile anyway. "You better watch the way you talk to me Gohan. You claimed that you still had things to think over remember? You haven't earned the right to talk to me like that yet."

"We'll see… Anyway, on to more immediate matters," Gohan said quickly wanting to avoid the smart-ass response he knew Ryo was dying to jump in with. "Do you happen to know where the qualifying round is being held? We'd hate to be late, so if you wouldn't mind pointing us in the right direction…"

"Dad and I were just headed there when the reporters ambushed us. He can find it himself once he's through making out with the cameras. Come on, follow me…"

Videl wouldn't take more then three steps before she heard the voice of her father calling out to her. "Hey Videl! Where did you run off to sweet pea?! These nice reporters would like to have a few words with you, so I told them you wouldn't mind."

"Not now dad!" Videl frowned. She hated it when her father talked to her like she was still a five year old. She didn't mind being daddy's little girl all that much, but for Kami's sake enough was enough. "The qualifying round is going to start any minute! You were supposed to do the demonstration remember?! I doubt they'd start without you, so you don't want to hold things up!"

"It'll only take a second Videl so…" Hercule paused when he noticed the two boys standing on each side of his daughter. "What in the world?! Look out for those two skinny kids next to you! Who do you guys think you are anyway?! Are you stalking my daughter?!"

Videl rolled her eyes. "Oh please dad! They're not stalking me! These are my friends Gohan and Ryo…"

"Your friends?!" Hercule looked shocked. "But… They're boys!"

"Well duh?" Ryo muttered under his breath. "Good boy, does monkey want a banana?"

"I do not approve of this Videl! Not one little bit! How could you do this to me? Running around with boys this entire time, and not even tell your own father!"

"I'm not running around with either one of them! They're just friends! The only reason they're here right now is because they're competing in the tournament!"

Hercule blinked a couple times before bursting out into hysterical laugher. "HA, HA, HA, HA! These two broom handles?! That's the funniest thing I ever heard! I think you boys better back out while you still can! I'm afraid I'd break you two in half like toothpicks!"

"Yeah right. You actually expect us to believe you can even break a toothpick?" Ryo snickered out loud so Hercule could hear him.

Hercule stopped laughing, and got right up in the boy's face… Well, Ryo was looking up into his neck anyway. "What did you say little boy? Don't you know who I am?! I'm the great Hercule! Marital arts World Champion! The man who single handedly defeated Cell and saved the world!" Hercule pounded at his chest a couple times, and made other various hand gestures that impressed his more ignorant fans. He looked down expecting Ryo to run and go crawling into a corner somewhere, but got the exact opposite. Ryo stared at him indifferently, and actually look about ready to fall asleep. 

Hercule sweat dropped, and nearly fell over. "Didn't you hear me kid?! I said I'm the great Hercule!"

"Oh that's right, this is the part where I'm supposed to scared isn't it?!" Ryo chimed sarcastically. He put his hands to his mouth, and dropped to his knees begging off Hercule like a bad actress in an old gangster movie. "Oh please mighty Hercule, don't hurt me! I'm sorry I ever defied you! You're so magnificent and strong! Oh, you're my hero!"

Videl elbowed Gohan in the ribs as he started to laugh at this display of disrespect towards her father, when Ryo began circling Hercule from his knees. Gohan had to throw his hands over his mouth to stop himself. It was rather hypocritical considering Videl found it kind of amusing herself. It was nice to see her father get shown up for once after trying to verbally abuse someone else. Her father could be a real arrogant jerk when he wanted to be, and he deserved this at the moment anyway.

"Wow… I don't know how to describe this," a TV anchor said, as his cameraman shot the scene live to every home in Japan that had their TV's tuned to the Pre-Tenkaichi show. "It looks as if this young man is actually mocking the great Hercule! This kid either has a lot of guts, or more likely suffers from a serious case of brain damage. I sincerely hope this boy doesn't make it past the prelims for his own sake. Hercule might rip this poor boy apart if they happened to meet in the ring after this little display. Then again, judging by the way Hercule looked at him a minute ago this kid may be lucky if he's able to crawl in a few seconds let alone qualify for Tenkaichi Budokai."

"That goof doesn't have a clue what he's talking about," Gohan mouthed, overhearing what the nitwit of a reporter was broadcasting over the airwaves.

A crowd of several dozen reporters and slack jawed fans watched intently to see just how Hercule was going to respond to this despicable challenge to his greatness. Most present probably expected Hercule to pound this skinny kid into the ground in an incensed rage. Instead, the crowd received the exact opposite. "Well, okay then kid. As long as you realize your mistake," Hercule said casually, before walking away. 

The crowd of media and Hercule supporters stared in shock, mouths hanging open as they wondered what the heck Hercule's plan was. Most expected him to come charging back, in a clever attempt to psyche the boy out, but he never came back. Perplexed himself, Ryo nearly fell flat on his face. "Well apparently, Hercule has decided to show this boy some mercy by turning the other cheek, and walked away from him. What a show of grit and patience by one of histories greatest hero's, allowing all those harsh words from this juvenile delinquent to bounce right off of him. Instead of pounding him into a pulp like we all know he could, instead the great Hercule…"

"Enough already!" Gohan shrieked in defense of his friend, giving the reporter a dirty look. "Juvenile delinquent?! Why don't you and your cameraman over there come over here, and say that about me? I'll give your viewers a revolutionary camera view when I stick that thing up your bony little…"

"Whoa, down boy!" Videl grabbed Gohan by the arm, and pulled him away from the reporters. "Some of these reporters are like small children. They can dig up dirt and roll around in it whenever they want, so don't supply them with anymore then they need."

"Yeah, and besides its no big deal," Ryo added, as he walked over to them. Most of the media had already dispersed in search of Hercule. "I did happen to defy everybody's favorite *hero* in case you didn't remember."

Gohan calmed down, and thought the matter over to himself. There's no way that goof could've thought Ryo was serious is there? Then again, this is Hercule we're talking about Gohan.

********

"Punch machine?!" Goku whined, as he gawked at the object that would determine which fighters were strong enough to enter the Tenkaichi Budokai. "That's weak! When did they start doing this?!"

"Well, for as long as I can remember," Videl replied, honestly unable to remember a time when the machine wasn't used. "You mean they didn't always use a punch machine to decided the participants?"

"No, we used to do it the old fashion way," Krillen grumbled. "We fought it out, and the sixteen that survived earned their spots in the Tenkaichi…"

"There's a whole lot more to the art of fighting then who can throw the hardest punch," Piccolo grunted disgustedly, voicing his disapproval with this method as well. "Let me guess, this must've been another one of their little schemes to save time. Just like that carnival last night…"

"Well, I guess there's nothing we can do but grin and bare it guys," Goku sweat dropped, and rubbed the back of his neck. "All we can do now is wait I guess…"

The Z-fighters wouldn't have to wait long. About ten minutes at the most. The preliminary round was scheduled to begin at 9:00am on the dot, and continued until the last entry took a swing at the punching machine. You could drop in at any time while the line was still moving, but once that last entry took his turn that was that. The well known promoter of the Tenkaichi Budokai over the past few decades made his presence known at nine sharp, and warmed up the crowd a bit before explaining the rules of the qualifying round. Goku had already shared a nice conversation with the man earlier, as he remembered Goku fondly from his previous tours in the tournament. 

"Okay fighters, the rules are simple. All you have to do is punch the target, and the machine's computer will measure your strength by the force of your blow. The fifteen highest scores will be automatically be entered into the Tenkaichi. The sixteenth spot has already been granted to our current champion Hercule. Speaking of Hercule, why don't we bring the World Champ out to demonstrate how this contraption works, what do you say?!"

A rousing round of cheers followed, as Hercule bounded out of his personal locker room, and appeared in front of the large crowd. Everyone either cheered or stayed silent, with the exception of Krillen who hardly booed after all the applause died down. He stopped after getting several strange looks from some of the other fighters, including Videl. Moments later, Hercule went into a long winded speech about being the Tenkaichi champion, a speech considered encouraging and uplifting by the host of other fighters, and perceived as bullshit by the Z-fighters and the DBZ community on FF.net. Videl stood at the front of the crowd looking on partly with pride for her famous father, and partly embarrassed by his predictably silly antics. Finally, the World Champ got down to business, and gave the machine a good whack. He scored a 137, impressing the rumpus crowd, with the exception of the small group towards the back.

"Now that's how it's done! Would one of you please try to score over one hundred, so we can at least have a decent fight?" Hercule boasted, before heading off towards his dressing room.

Once the crowd's excitement died down, or in the Z-senshi's case when they stopped, barfing, laughing, or were just waking up, the qualifying round finally got under way. About two dozen men at the front of the line took their turns, the highest score being only a ninety-two out of the entire bunch. Now it was time for the older Z-senshi to take their turns. Goku went first, scoring a 265, and shocking the hell out of the monks and other onlookers. Then Krillen took his turn, scoring a 250 even followed by his wife Eighteen who rung in at 273. Piccolo followed her racking up a 268 with a mere slap of the back of his hand. Needless to say, by now almost every jaw in that little square was hanging open, including Videl's. Ryo and Gohan both snickered at the various humorous looks that would pop up on her face as she looked on. The monks huddled up to discuss this strange and sudden phenomena, and of course determined that something must be wrong with the machine. They wasted a good fifteen minutes tinkering with the machine before having Goku, Krillen, Eighteen, and Piccolo take their turns over again. They did, and once again they all scored in the high two hundreds. More mouths dropped, and shocked gasps filled the air. The monks didn't bother with it this time, and decided to keep their scores for now and get on with it.

Yamcha sweat dropped when he only managed a score of 205. Though he was a bit disappointed, it was still more then enough to shock the rest of the crowd. "Man, I didn't try to hold back that much! I must really be slipping… I knew coming here was a mistake!"

Vegeta walked up next, and considered punching the damn thing into oblivion. He thought twice after he remembered the looks of shock on all the human's faces when the other Z-senshi were only scoring in the 200's. Vegeta certainly didn't want any of these slacked jawed humans gawking at him all afternoon, but his more devious side still wanted to give these fools a bit of a scare. He put a bit more pop into his punch then the others, scored a 481, and reveled in the shocked cries of a crowd growing more nervous by the second. In fact, a handful of combatants had already emptied out of the stadium, deciding that the prize wasn't worth the risk of going up against one of these freaks of nature.

"What the hell is going on?!" Videl cried, still staring in shock at Goku and several of the other Z-senshi. "My dad only scored a 137, and they're all scoring in the high two hundreds?!"

"Don't sweat it Videl," Gohan said, as he put his hand on her shoulder. "If you're a good girl I'll tell you all about it after the Tenkaichi is over with."

Videl gave Gohan a funny look, appearing a bit confused as she nodded her head in conformation. If it were only a day or two earlier, Videl may not have believed any of this was really happening, assuming the erratic scores were do to some sort of glitch in the machine. However, considering the events of the past few days, Videl wasn't sure what to believe anymore. 

Once the majority of the onlookers managed to pull their chins up off the ground, the line finally began to move again. A sense of normality re-gripped the area, as normal high double-digit scores began to register on the machine. Goku, along with the other's who had already qualified, decided to head off to watch the Junior Tournament, which was about to begin at any moment. Gohan, Videl, and Ryo were way off towards the back of the line, they were late mind you, so the other's decided not to wait on them. It was a good idea for them too, for the line seemed to move at a snails pace shortly after they left. Several complaints from entries followed and after several minutes of tinkering with the machine, before Gohan and company knew it close to two hours had paced before it finally came their turn to qualify. 

"Finally!" Gohan proclaimed when Videl reached the front of the line. "I thought we were never going to get through this! The Junior Tournament is almost over! I'd like to see my brother fight at least one match before the thing's over with! Can we please speed things up here?!"

"We're going as fast as we can young man," one of the monks replied with a tug of his glasses. "Don't worry, you'll get your turn soon enough. Okay, Miss Videl. She's all yours."

"Good luck Videl," Ryo wished, as she approached the punching machine.

"I won't need it," Videl smirked back.

"Give it all you got!" Gohan encouraged with a smile.

"I plan on it…" Videl muttered to herself. She wasn't kidding either. Especially with seeing the kind of scores Gohan's father and his friends put up. Her father only scored a measly 137 compared to them, so she thought there was no way she'd be able to even come close to that. Still, she was going to give it her best shot. She concentrated hard, focusing all of her energy like Gohan had taught her to do. Little did she know how effective this little technique was. She paced herself a moment, and then finally reared back her fist and slammed it into the machine with everything she had.

The three monks that were supervising the qualifying round, jaws dropped in unison. One only managed a slight crackle to escape from his mouth. "This is unbelievable!"

"What? It couldn't be that bad could it?!" Videl panicked slightly, taking their expression of shock as a bad sign. That was until she looked up at the screen that is. "742!"

"Amazing…" Another one of the monks gaped.

  
"Hey, nice shot Videl," Ryo said casually.

Videl whirled around looking a little overwhelmed, and a bit surprised at how calm and un-phased her friends appeared. "Didn't you guys see that?! You're not the least bit surprised?…"

Gohan cringed, and looked at Ryo as if to ask him what he'd should say or do. After getting no response, he realized he'd have to wing it. "Oh no, of course we're surprised Videl! Who knew you'd be able to score that high. It was unbelievable really…" Gohan paused, when he noticed the dirty look Videl was giving him. "Umm… I mean… Oh boy."

"He's laying it on a little thick isn't he?" Ryo snickered. "What he wants to say is that we weren't all that surprised because we expected you to score high."

"Yeah, that's exactly what I was getting at! Sort of…"

"But… 742?! That's remarkable… I can't believe I…"

"Believe it Videl," Gohan said, now completely composed. "You're a lot stronger then you give yourself credit for… You'll understand eventually."

"Understand what?!" Videl asked, wondering what in the world Gohan was getting at.

"Well, I guess it's my turn then." Ryo cracked his knuckles, and headed towards the machine. 

"Try to at least score in triple digits Ryo," Videl teased, trying to rub her latest accomplishment in his face. She'd quickly progressed from shock to a rather potent sense of pride in herself. "I can imagine following an act like that can be intimidating, so don't let it distract you too much."

Ryo rolled his eyes. Apparently modesty wasn't her strongest trait. "I think I'll do just fine thank you."

"Get a load of this kid." Ryo's eyes shifted in the direction of a trio of bulky young men, who he assumed were talking about him. "Look at that bony little body of his, it looks like he hasn't seen a set of weights in his life."

"Yeah, I bet you he scores like a twelve or something."

"Oh, don't look now guys, he's looking this way!" one of the men laughed, as Ryo shot a glare their way. "Ewe, he looks mad. I think you hurt his feelings Trevor. You better be careful, or he might get his buddy Videl on us if we keep picking on him."

"Oh yeah! We definitely wouldn't want that. I suppose having a Satan as a bodyguard would have its advantages… In more ways then one." Trevor smirked, eyeing Videl in a way that made her want to puke, and at the same time was kind of pissing Gohan off.

"I'm not his bodyguard you morons!" Videl barked at them. The men seemed surprised Videl had overheard them. "He doesn't have to ask me to do anything, I might just knock your blocks off for the hell of it! At the very least you're going to be blind if you don't stop gawking at me like that you pervert!"

"Don't let them bother you Ryo," Gohan whispered to him. "Those weaklings don't even have a clue who they're talking to."

"Yeah I know…" Ryo mumbled, but his expression said something entirely different. "I'm used to it by now… I've had to take this crap my entire life. It's still annoying though…"

The men shut up for the time being, not as willing to mess with a Satan as they were with what they observed as an underdeveloped weakling. The silence didn't last long however, only until Ryo stepped in front of the punch machine, readying himself to take his turn. "Careful now! You don't want to hurt your hand on the target! You do know how to throw a punch don't you?!"

Ryo cringed, and tried to tone them out, but the men were determined to make themselves heard. "Try to score in double digits at least! We'd hate to see you embarrass yourself too awful bad!"

"Oh, that does it! I'll shut those morons up," Ryo grumbled. He reared back his fist, and gave the target a more then adequate whack. Nothing all that stellar, not to him or Gohan anyway.

"1,542!!!!"

The three men who'd been mocking him nearly fell over, while Videl was gawking at him wearing one of those famous standard anime expressions of shock. Not to mention that the majority of the few people that were still waiting to qualify looked about the same as her. Most everyone expect for Gohan who just shook his head, and sighed. "He just couldn't resist could he?"

The monk who was monitoring the scores was practically quivering. "There… Is… No… Way… I'm sorry son, but this machine is obviously out of order. We'll give the equipment a check, and let you take your turn over."

Ryo frowned at this. "There is nothing wrong with the damn machine! I could've scored higher if I wanted to!"

The monk slightly laughed at this, thinking he had the situation all figured out. "Sure you could young man. It'll only take us a minute to recalibrate, so just standby and I promise we'll have the problem fixed soon."

"What?! This is ridiculous!"

All Ryo could do was cross his arms, and wait as the monks played with the machine. Most of the crowd began to assume there was something wrong with the machine, including the three stooges who once again began to taunt Ryo from the sidelines. Videl herself was feeling a bit disappointed, wondering if her score might have been inaccurate as well. A few minutes later, the mechanic pulled his head out of the machine looking rather stunned. 

"Well, what's the problem?"

"That's the funny thing…" the monk said, as he scratched his head. "I can't find anything wrong with it? All the parameters seem to be inline."

"But that's impossible! There has to be something wrong! It's not humanly possible to score over a thousand!"

"I'm sorry, but it's true! The machine is running just like it's meant to!"

In the meantime, Gohan turned his head to the side as he heard the loud speaker begin to boom. "Attention, ladies and gentlemen! It's time for the final round of the Junior Tournament featuring Trunks VS. Goten, with the title of Jr. World Champion on the line!"

"Ah, damn it!" Gohan groaned, as his feet got a little antsy. "Can we please hurry this up over there!"

"We're still trying to determine what's wrong with the machine young man. It'll be just another moment or two, so please be patient."

"I can't take this anymore! Look, I'll just redo the damn thing okay?!" Ryo grumbled in frustration. He gave the target another good whack. He was a bit agitated, so he scored a bit higher then he intended to. A 931 to be exact. "Is that better?!"

The monk went pale again. "Well, I guess that's more reasonable but... I still think we need to tinker with this machine a bit more…"

Ryo rubbed his forehead, and groaned. "Look, my friend here has a brother who's fighting in the finals of the Junior Tournament. Frankly, we'd all like to be there to cheer him on, so if we could just get this over with… I have an idea, why don't you take a shot at this thing to see if it's working! If you score higher then a twenty then we'll now something's wrong!"

The monk grumbled a bit, but did think the idea was a rather good one. "Okay then… I guess a little test couldn't hurt." The monk took a shot at the machine, and sweat dropped when his blow rang in at only a thirteen.

"I rest my case," Ryo huffed and guided the man aside. He gave the machine another, softer, punch that registered at a measly 305. "Is that good enough for you, or would you like me to score lower still?!"

"Umm… No, that will do just fine I suppose…"

"Good, so I take it I qualified then," Ryo stated, as he walked away.

"I would say so… Okay next…"

"Finally!" Gohan sighed, as he charged towards the machine. He gave the target a quick and sudden whack, one that caused the machine to bounce a tiny bit, and darted off towards the arena without even bothering to wait to see what he scored. "Sorry I can't stick around, but I'm in a hurry!"

The monk's mouth was a gap again, as he read the numbers flashing across the screen. "Five… Thousand… Seven Hundred and… Thirty-four?!"

"Good heavens, what are these kids eating for breakfast in the morning?! Surely it can't be merely wheaties could it?"

"I'm getting to old for this…"

"There's… no… way…" Videl stammered, as she stared in shock at the screen.

"Sure there is Videl. Now come on, if we hurry we might be able to catch Gohan, and see the last part of Goten's match." Ryo grabbed Videl by the arm, and drug her towards the arena. "Oh get over it girl, at least move your legs!"

********

The Junior Tournament was still in its infancy stages, this only being the third year since it was separated from the Tenkaichi itself. Needless to say, the first two were both a complete farce. The tournament mostly consisted of little kids who spent most of the match slapping each other around until one of them began crying and gave up. The first year was rather forgettable, so people did just that. They forgot about it, and during the second go around Videl pretty much wiped the mat with any other poor unfortunate kid that had to climb in the ring with her. People didn't expect much from the youngsters, but this year they received more then there money's worth. At least with one match that was. The final match to decide the Junior World Champion pitting Trunks against his best friend Goten in a match that delighted the crowd, and made many of the adult matches look tame in comparison. Videl herself was particularly impressed with the youngsters abilities, and got yet another shock when she watched both of them turn into mini gold fighters right before her eyes. Ryo barely managed to prevent himself from failing over the rail in laughter at the hilarious looks of shock that attacked Videl's face throughout the duration of the match. Gohan definitely had a lot of explaining to do once this was all over.

After a hard fought match, Trunks finally managed to just barely eek out a victory over Gohan's younger brother, much to his dismay. The exhibition match with Hercule directly afterwards was a whole new experience for Videl in itself. That meaning when she watched her father get hammered outside of the ring, and into a brick wall after only one punch from young Trunks. Of course Hercule picked himself up a few seconds later, and played off to the crowd like he threw the fight so the young boy could win. Of course the crowd ate it up, except for the two teens observing from the railing wedged in between a young girl who assumed her father had thrown the fight as well. The other Z-fighters had left to grab something to eat before the Tenkaichi, finding little interest in watching an eight-year-old boy beat the crap out of the so-called World Champion. The three teens followed suit after the fight was over. After a bizarre, when it came to watching the Sayians eat that was, but rather uneventfully pre-fight meal the group headed towards the square in front of the arena where the drawing to pair the fighters for the Tenkaichi was to be held.

"Well, at least this hasn't changed much," Goku smiled, as they waked into the square. At least this leg of the Pre-Tenkaichi festivities hadn't seemed to have change much from the way he remembered it. Not that they could've done things much differently that was. There was a big board set up in the center of the square were they filled out the bracketing for the tournament, and the small table nearby that the box containing the balls with the numbers 1 through 16 printed across them was set up on. The MC of the Tenkaichi noticed Goku and company walk onto the scene and waved to them. Goku gave a small wave back, and proceeded to examine the rest of the field.

Goku, or any of the other Z-senshi for that matter, didn't expect to find much competition outside themselves. Goku felt the energy surrounding him, picking up the Ki's of fourteen fighters in all, and to Goku's shock every one of them appeared to be rather strong. Seeing no problem with this unexpected surprise, he simply smiled at this. He then shifted his eyes around the square to put faces with the various waves of energy he was feeling. He could only pick out four out of the six. Two of them were large burly looking guys, with veins bulging out of their already bulging muscles. Not only that, but they were shaved bald, and had the letter 'M' Tattooed on their foreheads. Goku wasn't one to be rattled easily, but something about those two gave him the creeps. 

The other two entries where a much different matter all together. They were creepy in their own right, but a different type of creepy all together. Maybe bizarre was the word he was looking for. One was a little purple man who Goku noticed hovered in the air a few inches above the ground when he walked… Well sort of walked anyway. The smirk on his face was in a word or two *spine numbing*. Not quite an evil grin, but you couldn't quite call it anything else. His companion was either very grumpy, or just dead serious. He was a tall imposing figure with pinkish skin, and long white hair that fell down to his butt. Whatever type of conversation they were sharing at the moment appeared to be one-sided on Shin's part. Goku hardly noticed the big man's lips move once, as his only replies were usually held to a simple nod or shake of his head. Their energy was rather strange as well… He couldn't quite put his finger on what it felt like… He wondered if the other Z-senshi noticed as well. Piccolo obviously did, as the presence of the duo seemed to trouble the Namek greatly. Goku couldn't quite get a straight answer out of him. Piccolo did tell him that he thought he knew the smaller man from somewhere, and that Goku and the others should take the pair very seriously. Goku assumed Vegeta probably sensed something from them as well, but most likely didn't care. Goku also noticed that Ryo seemed to pick up on something from them as well… Or at least he appeared to. He saw Ryo give the pair a couple of suspicious glances ever since they'd arrived at the square. He did consider that the boy might have been simply surprised to see a little purple man floating in the air. Videl definitely seemed fascinated by his presence. Then again, Ryo was trained by Piccolo, so strange looking alien like creatures with odd skin pigments shouldn't surprise him too much. Maybe he knew more about the feel of someone's Ki then Goku had originally given the boy credit for. He was still young after all, and even with Gohan for that matter, youth and ignorance allowed things like that to go over his head from time to time. Maybe his psychic sense had something to do with that. 

"Man, the competition seems to get weirder and weirder every year," Videl said, gawking at the four new comers.

"You can say that again," Gohan agreed. "But we seem to be three short. I wonder where the others are at? We can't start the drawing until they get here."

"They should be here soon enough," Videl told him. "The drawing isn't scheduled to start for another ten minutes or so."

While Gohan and Videl were conversing, Ryo was busy trying to put on lock on where the two other stray Ki's he'd felt, were at. He had a sinking feeling he knew where these two had come from… He mentally slapped himself when he realized the two Ki's were originating from a spot practically directly behind him.

He turned his head slowly, and grimaced at what he saw. He nudged Gohan in the ribs with his elbow to get his attention. "Gohan, look!"

"What is it?" Gohan asked, as he turned around. Ryo wouldn't have to answer for Gohan's mouth dropped when he saw the two Ray Lien resting against one of the far walls built around the square. They were dressed in full gear, one decked out in a blue Gi, and the other green symbolizing their ranks. "Damn… I was hoping they'd decide to skip the show…"

"We're not that lucky…"

"Hey, what are you guys staring at?" Videl's eyes widened in horror when she the two men leaning against the wall. They were standing still as could be, seemingly paying no attention to the world around them. "Oh Kami… They're dressed just like that guy that attacked us in the alley a while back Gohan!"

"I know Videl…" 

"But who the hell are those guys anyway, and what are they doing here?!"

Gohan looked towards Ryo as if to ask him if he should tell her or not. Ryo decided to give Gohan a reprieve and told Videl himself. "They're called the Ray Lien… They're a group of assassins pretty much…Undoubtedly, they're here to take somebody down, not to win the world title."

"Assassins?" Videl gaped. "You don't think they're after me again do you?"

Gohan chocked as he spoke. "Yes… Yes we do Videl. At least one of them anyway…"

Videl looked a bit unnerved at first, before growling in determination. "Let them try and get me then! They won't catch me by surprise like that Riego guy did! Besides, I have you and all your friends with me Gohan. Not to mention my father who just happened to save the world seven years ago. You know what they say… Strength in numbers…"

"You have a point there," Gohan smiled, ignoring the part about Hercule. 

"Just be careful Videl," Ryo said, a deadly serious look still etched on his face. "I know you're a strong girl, but they aren't your ordinary fighters Videl… Be careful."

"I will. You worry too much Ryo."

"Somebody has too."

"Well, well, look at what crawled out of the sewer," Vegeta sneered, as he walked up next to the children. "I thought I felt a couple of bad karate movie rejects in the area. So, you really think one of them is after your little girlfriend here brat?"

"Yes, we're sure, but she's not my girlfriend," Gohan sweat dropped. Unnoticed by him Videl frowned slightly at the way he said that.

"We're positive actually," Ryo stated, his arms folded across his chest. "One of them at least… We're just not sure who the other one is after…"

"Well, it's obviously one of us boy," Vegeta snickered, remembering the last fool that tried to assassinate him. There were still pieces of him scattered across the gravity room back at Capsule Corp. "I'm impressed those fools actually had enough guts to bring themselves out in the open for once, instead of lurking around in the shadows. Cowards."

"Hey, what are you guys talking about over hear?" Goku asked, after wandering over there wondering what they all were suddenly interested in. His eyes then focused on the two men he identified as the two missing Ki's he couldn't locate earlier. "I see… So, are those the Ray Lien guys you've been talking about?"

Vegeta grunted. "Yes. They never send more then one assassin to do a job, so they've obviously targeted at least two people. Your brat and his friend here seem to believe that this little human girl is one of their targets."

"I see…" Goku looked thoughtful. "Hey, I wonder if one of them is after me?"

"You are such a fool Kakarott!" Vegeta snorted. "Think about it clown. What sense would it make for them to target you? You're already dead! Not to mention they'd have no idea you'd be here back from other world!"

Goku sweat dropped. "Well true, but it's a thought…"

"That would be a first."

"So let me get this straight," Videl said to Gohan, frowning slightly. "Are you saying that you knew about who these Ray Lien guys were all along, and you never told me?!"

"Well yeah…" Gohan admitted guiltily. "I know I should've told you, but I didn't want to worry you. Besides, I didn't even really know who they were until recently… I'm sorry. I know I probably should've mentioned something to you, but I was just trying to protect you."

"Well thanks Gohan, but I can take care of myself!" Videl snapped, sounding a bit angry all of the sudden. "What's with all the secrets lately anyway?! I know there's something going on here that I don't know about Gohan! I'm not stupid, I noticed that everyone in your little clique seems to know what's going on except me! Even Ryo for Kami's sake!"

"We're not hiding anything Videl, I swear… Okay, I guess there's no point in lying to you… We are hiding a few things, but they're for good reasons. Just wait a little bit longer, and I promise I'll tell you everything…"

"Wait just a little bit longer," Videl mocked, putting on her best Gohan impersonation. She'd heard that enough in the last few weeks, especially the past day or two, to drive her out of her mind. "Wait for this, and wait for that! What is it with you and putting everything off anyway?! What's so horrible that makes you so afraid to tell me?!"

"It's probably worse then you think Videl!" Gohan yelped defensively. "Why are you so angry all of the sudden anyway?"

"I think I have the right to be! There are people wearing pajama's running around here that just might be out to kill me, so I'm sorry if that upsets me just a little bit! I think I have the right to know just who the hell they are, and why they're after me!"

"Well…" Gohan looked to Ryo, asking for his opinion with his expression. However, Ryo was in no mindset to pay Gohan any attention. Gohan stared curiously as Ryo's head started to shift around as if he was looking for something. Ryo's face suddenly lit up, and a broad smile crossed his face. "Ryo is something up?"

"He's here?" Ryo asked himself, or more like stated to himself. He didn't even notice Gohan had spoke to him. "Why would he… Excuse me guys, I've got to go!"

"Ryo, where are you going?!" Gohan called, as Ryo darted out of the square. He gave Videl a questioning look. She just grunted at him, and walked away from him as well in the other direction. "Videl! Don't be mad! I said I was sorry… Awe damn it…"

Gohan sweat dropped, and debated as to which of his friends he should go after. He was interested in seeing what Ryo had gotten so excited over, but quickly decided mending fences with Videl was more important. He didn't take him long to run her down, she wasn't exactly trying very hard to allude him. It was almost as if she wanted him to follow her…

"Wait up Videl!" Gohan shouted, jumping in front of her to prevent any further progress in the direction she was going. Videl growled softly and turned her head away from him, otherwise not moving another inch. "I'm sorry Videl I really am… I understand why your upset, but I didn't have a choice… I promise I'm going to tell you everything right after the tournament. You only have to wait another few hours, is it really all that bad?"

"I shouldn't of had to wait this long…" Videl then looked Gohan straight in the eye. "Why haven't you told me all this already?"

Gohan sweat dropped, completely unprepared for that type of question. "Well I… Look, things are rather complicated… You'll understand why I've kept things secret once I tell you… At least I hope you will. There are good reasons I haven't told you any of this yet Videl…"

"I already know… You don't trust me, that's as good enough reason as any."

"It's not that I don't trust you! I trust you as much as I do everyone I'm close to if not more… Trust isn't the issue, it's something else all together…"

"Then why can't you talk to me?" Videl asked softly. Her expression was definitely not typical Videl at the moment. She looked a lot more emotional and expressive then usual. She nearly looked like a normal teenaged girl right then instead of the daughter of Satan Hercule. "I know you can talk to Ryo, so why not me? I know because I've seen you talk to him, and he talks to me a lot… We don't seem to have any problems opening up to each other like you have with me. It's strange because that's what I was looking for with you…"

"Videl…" Gohan rubbed the back of his neck. He never knew what to say in situations like this… Maybe because he'd never been in one before. "I want it to be that way between us too Videl… But I'm afraid there are a few things you're going to find out about me you're not exactly going to like… Is it really that important to you?"

"Yes, it's that important to me!" Videl frowned at him, looking much more like herself. "Maybe it was stupid of me, but for some reason I wanted to be close to you… I don't know why, because I never cared about getting that way with someone before… I was fine being on my own, and didn't need anybody! Then I met you, and something in my personality changed… I tried to get closer to you, but each time you'd just push me away like you had no clue what was going on. I got frustrated, but I never gave up. I wanted to get to know you, and for a long time I thought I did. Then this Gold Fighter thing happened… Which you still haven't explained to me yet by the way!… It bothered me that you wouldn't tell me, but I lived with it... I figured you'd tell me when you were ready… And now all this crap is going on, and I just can't take it anymore! All of a sudden I don't feel like I know you at all… Like you're an entirely different person I need to figure out all over again… I'm sorry, but I care about you too much not to hate feeling like shit because all of this is happening! I know this was kind of sudden, but I've kept it bottled up for a while… Maybe I was stupid… I should've just kept to myself, and not have bothered with you and I wouldn't be in this mess I'm in now!" 

"Videl, don't talk like that," Gohan partially laughed. He tried to put his hands on her shoulders, but Videl knocked his arms out of the air and turned her back to him. Gohan went on as if nothing happened, and continued talking. "You know full well who I am. I'll admit that there are a couple things about me that are going to shock and possibly disturb you, but despite that I'm still going to be the same guy you've always known. Besides the Gold Fighter thing, I've never pretended to be anything I'm not. I never really meant to push you away either… The truth is, I wanted to be closer to you too… Look, I was just stupid okay, there's no other explanation for it. You know Videl, I for one am glad you didn't keep to yourself. I've noticed that you don't show that particular side of yourself you show to me for just anyone. I'm rather proud you choose to show it to me… It makes me feel kind of special in a way… I probably should've picked up on as to why sooner but…"

Videl remained silent, but Gohan could almost hear her knees shaking. His hands found their way back up to her shoulders, but this time she didn't turn them away. "Look, I guess what I'm getting at is… I'm sorry if I hurt you in anyway, I wasn't trying to. I swear that's the last thing I want to do, everything I've kept from you was to keep you from getting hurt. I promise that if you forgive me, I'll tell you everything soon enough… And if I don't, I won't blame you at all if you tell me to go to hell and never have a thing to do with me again."

Videl remained still, but that didn't last long. She turned around slowly and looked up at him looking a bit broken, but for the most part still looked tough and proud none the less. "When are you going to tell me?"

"Right after the tournament concludes tonight, I promise."

"Why then?… Just out of curiosity."

"Because that's the way I've been planning it for days now. I thought it might be easier then, because you might see a couple things occur during the Tenkaichi that might make the explanation a bit easier…" 

"Like what?"

"You'll know when you see it," Gohan smiled, knowing she wasn't going to like that answer. She was going to hate the actual answer a lot worse, so for now she'd have to live with it. "So. do you forgive me? I really don't want you mad at me ever, but right now isn't a very good time for either of us. You don't want us to be distracted while we're fighting now do you?"

Videl frowned at first, before dipping her head and laughing slightly at this. "I'm going to be distracted either way you doof. I'll forgive you for now… I'll wait until after the Tenkaichi. However, if you don't talk to me then, I might just take you up on your offer, so don't forget that."

"I won't," Gohan said softly. "And remember no matter what happens… Or how differently you might look at me once everything starts unfolding… Remember that I'm still Gohan, and nothing from what you already know from me is going to change. Most importantly, the fact that I'll still be your friend, even if you do decide you hate me when this is all said and done."

Videl wanted to laugh at this. Sure she hated him, but in a different way all together. At the moment, she couldn't imagine herself hating Gohan in the way he was insinuating. "What if I don't want to be friends anymore?…"

"You don't have a choice, you're stuck with me. You don't have to be my friend if you don't want, but I'll still be yours."

"That's not what I meant," Videl giggled slightly, and rested her forehead against his chest. "What if I'm not satisfied with leaving it at that?"

Gohan blushed a bit, but appeared thoughtful over the matter none the less. "Well…I guess you'll either have to live with it, or maybe I don't want to leave it at that either."

Videl's head jerked back, revealing a slightly red face. It wasn't like Gohan to say something like that… "Well, I guess I'll just have to wait until you're ready before I find out… Like you said…"

"Honestly, I think I might already have it figured out, so you might not have to wait long on that either." Gohan enjoyed the way her face would light up when he'd talk that way to her. It was just so unlike her to look all embarrassed like that, and he thought she looked rather cute when she was… Then again, he thought she looked cute when she did just about anything… "Anyway, why don't we go see what Ryo's up to?"

Videl frowned at this, wondering why Gohan was bringing him into the conversation at the moment. It was kind of ruining the mood for her. "Ryo? Why, we'll see him in a couple minutes! The drawing's going to start any second!"

"I know, but he mentioned something about someone being here before he ran off," Gohan explained. "I'm kind of interested in seeing who he's going to meet."

"Hey yeah!" Videl beamed, suddenly getting interested. "He never talks about the people he knows back home very much… This could prove interesting… Let's see if we can't drop in on him…"

Ryo found himself walking down that intersection that connected the arena to one of the training facilities. He could feel him nearby, so he knew he was somewhere around there… That boy had made a hobby out of finding ways to hide from him ever since he learned the ability to sense a person's Ki. Sure enough he was giving Ryo the slip, until he heard a deep voice taunt him from somewhere in the shadows. 

"Well, who would've thought I'd ever see this. That nerdy little bookworm who used to get his face rubbed in the dirt by the other kids on the playground, and at one point in time could barely string together three words into a sentence let alone hold a conversation with someone, is all of the sudden competing as one of the final sixteen of the Tenkaichi Budokai. You know that most of the people that know you would die of laughter if they heard you were even considering to try out!"

Ryo smiled slightly, and turned his head slowly behind him. "Maybe so, but I don't care what any of them think. The people who know me best believe in me, and that's all that really matters to me."

Ryo watched as the blond boy came into view, walking out of the shadows with his hands stuffed in the pockets of his jeans. Dusty blond that came down to his shoulder, and a matching set of brown eyes to his friend who was only a couple inches shorter then he was. Everything about the boy seemed rather grungy in a way, not sloppy, but somewhat rough all the way down to the heels of a pair of faded cowboy boots on his feet. "We all do Ryo, even when you don't believe in yourself sometimes. I'm still kind of shocked to see you here… It's amazing to see how far you've come over the last few months."

"Hey, don't forget who taught me how to defend myself when we were younger," Ryo said, as he held his hand straight up in the air so it was even to his chest. The boy did the same, and clasped Ryo's hand in his sharing a gesture of respect and friendship the two often shared for about as long as they'd known each other. "I'm glad you could make it. It's great to see you again Takura."

"It's good to see you too Ryo. Don't see you around much anymore. I understand why you had to move again for a while, but that doesn't mean you can't come by and visit every once in a while does it?"

Ryo sweat dropped, and smiled guiltily. "Sorry about that… I know I should come around more often then I do, but things have been a little hectic lately. I can never be sure when something is going to pop up…"

"I told you I understand Ryo," Takura smiled, as he let go of Ryo's hand. "You're doing what you think is best just like we all would. Just don't make a habit out of being a stranger okay?"

"I won't, I promise. What are you doing here anyway?" Ryo asked before a thought occurred to him. "Hey, you're not competing too are you? There was one person missing from the square, minus Hercule that is. I bet it's you isn't it?"

Takura shook his head. "Sorry Ryo, but you're wrong for once. I did think about signing up for a while, but I decided not to. I'm afraid I'd be out of my league here."

"You're a lot better then you give yourself credit for… You've still been working at it haven't you?"

"Yeah…" Takura frowned, looking a bit disappointed in himself. "I'm still trying to get the hang of all this Ki mumbo-jumbo you've tried to drill into my head. I tried to find you by looking for your Ki, but I didn't do a very good job of it…"

"Don't worry about it, you'll get the hang of it. It took me weeks to finally catch on enough to use mine, and learn to sense other people's energy on my own. Keep working at it, and don't get discouraged. Then again, I forgot whom I'm talking to. I've never known you to give up on anything in your life…" Ryo paused, and thought over what he was about to say. He wanted to comment on that one little thing Takura had failed to chase after, but decided not to. She was a sensitive subject for him anyway. "So, if you're not fighting, then why are you here?"

"Why do you think? I'm here to watch you, you goof. When you told me you were going to enter the Tenkaichi, I just had to see this for myself. You have no idea what a pain in the butt it was to sneak around here just to get a chance to talk to you. Shayna and Ken really wanted to come too, but some things came up… By the way, everyone says hi."

Ryo looked a bit disappointed, but not too much as he expected his. "Hey, it's no problem… I'd rather not have a big audience anyway. I'm going to be nervous enough as it is."

"There you are!" a female voice called out, grabbing both Ryo's and his friends attention. Ryo knew before he looked up that he'd find Videl and Gohan walking towards them. "The drawing's going to start any minute! They'll start without us if we're late!"

  
Videl and Gohan stopped, appearing a bit surprised when they looked up at the blond boy standing next to Ryo. "Hey, who's your friend Ryo?"

"Oh, hey guys. You two have impeccable timing. This is my friend Takura from back home. Takura, this is Videl and Gohan. I'm pretty sure you can figure out which is which."

"So, you're Takura!" Gohan smiled, and extended his hand. To his surprise, Takura didn't accept the gesture right away. He stared at his hand a moment, as if thinking things over before finally shaking Gohan's hand. Gohan's first impression of the young man was hard for him to put into words. He seemed cold, but not in the normal sense of the word. Not emotionless or uncaring, but literally seemed cold. In fact, a chill ran through his spine when his skin met his, and the palm of his hand seemed rather chilly to the touch. Very unusual for a day when the temperature was a brisk eighty-five. Maybe it was something in his expression. His face looked a cross somewhere in between Eighteen and Vegeta. Not exactly emotionless like Eighteen, or grumpy with seeming distain for everything around him like Vegeta. Somewhere in the middle of all that. He wasn't exactly frowning, nor did he appear happy, content, or upset in anyway. Just kind of there watching the world go by around him, unable to tell what the boy was thinking or feeling at all just by looking at him. The perfect poker face if you will. Ryo had told Gohan that Takura would seem a little cold at first, but was fine later on if you took the time to get to know him. "It's nice to meet you. Ryo's told me a lot about you."

"He has?" Videl frowned. "He hasn't told me anything!"

"You never asked me!" Ryo laughed. "Gohan hasn't known about him that long himself. Takura just happened to pop up during a conversation with Gohan recently, and that's the only reason he knows anything about him."

"I prefer it that way," Takura jumped in suddenly, exposing his voice to Videl and Gohan for the first time. "That's why Ryo doesn't talk about me much. I like to keep a low profile. I have, however, heard an awful lot about you two. I kind of feel like I already know you. It's a pleasure to meet both of you."

Takura held his hand out to Videl, which she accepted after hesitating for a second. "Oh right… It's nice to meet you too Takura."

Takura's brow furrowed slightly, but other then that his expression didn't change. "Are you okay Miss Videl? You seem a bit disappointed. Do I not meet up to your standards?"

"What? Oh no, it's not that!" Videl giggled briefly, realizing what the boy must've been thinking. "Nothing personal against you, but when Gohan told me Ryo was meeting somebody I was hoping you'd be a girl…"

Ryo blushed, and growled. "Don't start Videl!"

Takura looked confused for a moment, before his eyes brightened with realization. His face grew wide in an odd smile of sorts. "Oh, I see. You must be talking about Amy. He told you two about her huh? He never tells anybody but his closest friends about her. He must really like and trust you guys."

"Don't you start either!" Ryo flared, turning his attention to Takura.

"Yeah he's mentioned her, but he won't tell me anything other then her name," Videl whined. "Maybe now that you're here, I can get some information out of you. The purple bomber over here won't tell me a damn thing."

"He doesn't have time to tell you anything because he has to get to the stands and get himself a seat, or he'll be standing for the Tenkaichi!" Ryo growled, wanting to put an immediate end to the subject this conversation had suddenly switched too. "Speaking of which, we better be getting back before they start the drawing without us!"

"He has a point Videl," Gohan concurred. He looked up at a large clock imbedded in a slab of stone over the entryway of the square. It indicated that they had less then a minute before the drawing began.

"Shot! We better hurry," Videl said, as she began to move towards the square. "It was nice meeting you Takura!"

"Take care Takura!" Ryo wished, as he waved his friend good-bye. "I'll see you after this thing is done and over with!"

"I'll be waiting! Good luck to all of you!" Takura wished, as they rushed back into the square praying they made it to the drawing in time. Takura smiled to himself after Ryo disappeared from his sight. "Well, well… At least it looks like he's in good hands…"

"Come on Ryo!" Videl begged, as they ran towards the square. "I just want to know what she looks like! What's the big deal?!"

"I said no Videl, now drop it!"

"Come on Ryo! What are you blushing for? I'm not asking for much… Just a little tidbit, even if it's only the color of her hair or something! Come on, what's it going to hurt you?"

"What part of bite me don't you understand Videl?!"

----------

"Okay, is everybody ready to begin the drawing?" the MC asked the crowd of eleven fighters that had gathered around him.

Goku looked around for Gohan and his friends, but could find no sign of them with his eyes anyway. "Excuse me sir, but we should have at least three more joining us shortly. Wherever they are…"

"I'm sorry Goku, but you know the rules. If they're not present when their names are called out to draw, then I'll draw a number for them. Everyone knew what time we were going to start, so they had plenty of time to make sure they were here." 

"We're here, we're here! We got a little held up, so give us a break!" Videl wheezed, as she skidded to a stop. She bent over, putting her hands on her knees as she tried to catch her breath. She looked rather annoyed when Ryo and Gohan came bounding up next to her casually. While her lungs felt like they were about to explode, Ryo and Gohan didn't even appear to have broken a sweat. Sure it wasn't that long of a run, but they had to run as hard as she did to get there… Or at least she thought they had.

The MC smiled. "Oh, there you are Miss Videl… And you two would be Gohan and Ryo, am I correct?"

"Right," Gohan said, while Ryo nodded his head slightly in conformation. 

"Great! I guess that means everybody's here expect for Hercule, and that other fellow… Has anybody happened to see anyone named Taro around anywhere?"

The short blond man received a few headshakes, and even a pair of spoken no's, but most just looked at him as if they had no clue what the hell he was talking about. Everyone except the two ninja's who, unnoticed by anyone else, shot each other a questioning glare.

"Do not worry yourself with my whereabouts little man," A deep raspy echoed through the air, drawing the attention of most of the field of fighters and Tenkaichi workers. Gohan, Goku, and most of the rest of the Z-senshi already had their heads turned in that direction at the feel of a monstrous Ki approaching from that direction, and were staring wide eyed at the beast headed their way. He resembled something straight out of Greek Mythology. He stood upright over eight feet in the air, brownish skin complexion with horns protruding from his forehead that curved over the top of his head and pointed straight down to the back of his neck. Whatever this thing was, it wasn't wearing any pants… It didn't have to, for a bushy sea of hair covered everything below his waist down to what looked more like hooves then feet. The satanic tale complete with pointy triangular tip, appeared to be the icing on the cake for what could only be called a demon. "I'm here, so can we get this ridiculous formality over with?"

The MC looked a bit, okay very intimidated by this massive beast standing before him. "Umm… Right! Of course, we'll be under way shortly, just hang on another second or two…"

"Damn, what is that thing?!" Videl retched, as she gawked at Taro from behind. 

"I don't know, but he doesn't look like a pushover," Gohan whispered back to her, feeling the evil energy just pouring out of this creature. Vegeta, Goku, and Piccolo watched Taro with interest as well, not to mention the purple stranger and his friend. Ryo's focused stayed directed more so on the two Ray Lien hiding towards the back of the large loop the fighters had formed. He noticed how they seemed a bit confused by Taro's presence, as if they knew this monster from somewhere. His suspicions were confirmed as Taro immediately walked over to the ninja's after scaring the MC, and the rest of the Tenkaichi work crew half to death. Ryo leaned in close to try to overhear as the three began to speak.

"What are you doing here Taro?" The blue ninja asked him. "We don't need your help!"

"I'm not here to help you fool," Taro snickered. "I'm here to make sure the job gets done! You pathetic fools have failed to hit even one of your targets! The master grew tired of your blundering, and sent me to ensure things go as planned."

The blue ninja growled, and turned his head. "Fine, do what you like! Just stay out of our way! We always uphold our contracts eventually…"

"Yes I'm sure, but we don't have a century or so wait, and at the rate you Ray Lien are going the only danger the Earth's fighters face is dying of old age! Well, I'm going to put a stop to this. The master should've sent me in the fist place! Not trust you morons with such an important mission… World's greatest assassins indeed!"

Hearing enough, Ryo straightened up. He looked over to his left as he felt Vegeta and Goku standing next to him. "Did you get all that boy?" Vegeta asked gruffly. "It looks like the Ray Lien have some backup."

"But they don't seem to be getting along very well do they?" Goku observed. "This doesn't look good. That Taro guy is strong… Something about his energy is just not normal… You better go warn Gohan about him Ryo."

"I was just about to do that Goku."

Vegeta grunted, as Ryo walked away. "At least the boy had the sense to survey his enemies. Unlike that son of yours."

"Hey, lay off Vegeta," Goku smiled. "He's obviously been distracted in case you haven't noticed."

Vegeta grunted again as he looked behind him, seeing Videl and Gohan talking amongst themselves, Ryo just then walking up to them. "Distracted by a woman… Undoubtedly, he inherited that from his human side!"

Ryo placed a hand on Gohan's shoulder. "Hey Gohan? Can I talk to you a second?"

"Yeah sure," Gohan said, as he turned to him. Videl looked at him with interest as well.

"Don't look now, but I think that Taro guy is associated with the Ray Lien in some way. I don't think they're working together exactly, but Taro mentioned something about his master sending him here with all the Ray Lien's recent failures."

"So, what you're saying is that you think Taro might be working for whoever sent the Ray Lien here?" Gohan assumed.

Ryo nodded his head. "Exactly. Maybe we can even squeeze some answers out of him."

"Hold on a second!" Videl looked a little spooked after hearing what they said. "Finish what the Ray Lien failed to do? That doesn't mean that thing is after me is it?"

Ryo sighed, and looked Videl in the eye. "I won't lie to you girl, it's a possibility, so keep your guard up okay?"

"Hey, I'm not afraid of that overgrown slab of beef!" Videl grimaced, showing no back down whatsoever. "I can take him, or anybody else for that matter!"

"Sure you can Videl," Ryo rolled his eyes. "We'll be here to watch your back anyway."

"I feel so reassured," Videl said sarcastically. 

"You should," Gohan told her with a smile, that only widened with the curious look she gave him after he said it.

"Okay everybody, I think we put this off long enough! It's time to begin the drawing! The rules are simple, and are as follows. When I call your name, each of you will walk up to the podium, and draw a ball out of this box here. Whatever number you draw, your name will be filled underneath the corresponding number on the flow chart up on the board over there. You'll be paired off with the fighter that draws the number corresponding with the number you drew. In other words, number one will fight two, three will fight four, and so on until we get to fifteen and sixteen. Okay, without any further adieu let's begin! First up is ah… Hail! Would Hail please come and draw his or her number?"

The crowd of fighters watched as the blue ninja known as Hail walked up the podium. "So, Hail's his name huh?" Gohan said to himself, making a mental note of that.

Hail reached into the box, and pulled out a hand-sized ball with the number '10' scribbled on it. He handed the ball back to the MC without saying a word. "Alright! Hail has drawn number ten! Put it up on the board!"

9.

10. Hail

"Okay, next up to draw is umm… Eighteen?…"

"That's me," Eighteen said, as she approached the table.

"Umm… Is that name correct or…"

Eighteen groaned and rolled her eyes. "Yes it's correct. Don't ask, or I'll pound you okay?"

"Okay Ma'am… Go ahead and draw your number then."

Eighteen reached into the box, and pulled out number '13'. The MC relayed the message back to the guys working the board.

-----------

The fans cheered as they watched one of the monks write the name eighteen under the number '13' slot on the big bracket board.

"Hmm… Looks like they're already pairing people for the first round," Roshi observed. 

"This is getting exciting," Bulma added, as she sipped on her drink. "I wonder who'll end up fighting who?"

Chichi didn't seem as confident as her friend. "Well, I'm glad your enjoying this because I'm a bundle of nerves! Our family really needs that money… Not to mention that I don't know what I'll do when Gohan and Goku have to fight each other… It's practically unavoidable."

"Not exactly," Bulma smirked. "You know that at least one of them will have to fight Vegeta eventually, maybe both, and after Vegeta defeats them you won't have to worry about your boys fighting with each other."

Chichi frowned, and snorted at this. "Vegeta?! Don't make me laugh! That arrogant jerk couldn't hold a candle to my Goku when he was alive, so I don't see any reason for things to be any different now!"

"Oh yeah?! The great Goku huh?! I guess that's why he wears that halo over his head huh?!"

Leave it to Bulma to open her mouth without thinking. That rather insensitive comment mashed down on a particularly sensitive button in Chichi's head, and it showed as her face boiled red before turning to Bulma and shouting into her face. "NEED I REMIND YOU THAT THE ONLY REASON HE'S WEARING THAT HALO WAS TO SAVE YOUR LIFE! NOT TO MENTION YOUR SON, MINE, AND EVERYBODY ELSE ON EARTH FOR THAT MATTER! THE ONLY THING YOUR HUSBAND WOULD RISK HIS LIFE FOR IS FOR DINNER! THE NERVE OF YOU BULMA! AND YOU USE TO CALL YOURSELF HIS FRIEND! I'D EXPECT YOU TO SHOW A LITTLE MORE RESPECT!"

Bulma backed up a bit, and for the first time in her life found herself lost for words. She wanted to throw a witty comment back at her, but she just didn't have one… "Look, I'm sorry I shouldn't have said that… I talk before I think sometimes. I realize everything Goku's done for us, and I love him for it. And Vegeta's not as bad as you think he is… At least not anymore… And just the record, Vegeta's still going to win."

Chichi scoffed, as a smile crossed her lips. "We'll see about that."

Before any further argument could break out, the girls plus Roshi, Ox King, and Marren were distracted by a rather dejected looking Yamcha as he sat down next to Bulma. The man sitting next to her gladly made way for him, wanting to distance himself from the two frightening women as far as he could. "Hey guys, what's up?"

"Yamcha?" Roshi asked, looking confused. "What in the world are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at the drawing with the rest of the fighters?"

Yamcha slumped his shoulders and sunk lower into his seat. He would've hidden under the bench if it were large enough. "I didn't qualify…"

"You didn't qualify?!" Bulma asked stunned. "How could you not have a qualified?!"

"That's what I can't figure out!" Yamcha snipped somewhat irritably. "I scored a 205, but fifteen other fighters still scored higher then me! I just don't get it! I know I'm not what I used to be, but I still have my pride… At least I did… This is so embarrassing, I couldn't even look Goku and the others in the face…"

"Well, don't let it get to you too much my boy," Roshi said, as a devilish smirk crossed the old man's lips. "Allow me to be the first to welcome you to the cheap seats with the rest of us bleacher bums Yamcha!"

"Thanks… I feel so much better now."

----------

"The next entry is Kabito!" The MC gulped when the rather mean looking, and not to mention big and pink, man walked up to the table. Kabito quickly drew a ball from the box, and handed it to the MC. The blond man sweat dropped, as Kabito gave him one last menacing glare before walking back over towards his small purple companion. "Okay… Kabito is number 16!"

9.

10. Hail

12.

13. Eighteen

15.

16. Kabito

"Okay then… Up next is Vegeta."

Vegeta's head poked upwards at the sound of his name. He grunted softly before heading towards the draw box, Goku watching him intently as he went on his way. Vegeta reached into the box, looking disgusted as usual as he did so. Vegeta looked at his ball with disinterest. 

"So, that makes Vegeta number 3!"

"Good!" Vegeta snorted. "At least I can get my first fight out of the way quickly. I despise waiting."

"Well, you'll only have one match to wait through until it's your turn, so I guess that does work in your favor. Okay, so next is Spopovich!" The MC waited a few seconds, and repeated himself after no one came forward. "Umm… Excuse me, but is there a Spopovich here?"

"It's your turn, go on," the smaller man said to his beastly partner. Spopovich let out a sickening grunt as he stood upright, and lumbered his way towards the podium. Most of the Z-fighters watched the big brut intently, including Shin who's head snapped around violently once Spopovich had passed him. 

Interesting, Goku thought to himself. It seems like that little guy senses something from Spopovich too… And his expression doesn't look all that flattering.

Spopovich jabbed his hand into the draw box aggressively, and rummaged through the inside. The MC examined this big man he thought he knew curiously. "You've changed a lot over the past few years haven't you there Spopovich? Must've been hitting the gym hard huh?"

Spopovich grunted at him with a disgusted gaze, before yanking out a ball and handing it to the man. 

"Alright then big guy, you're number 6."

"Right! I'm ready!" Spopovich snorted, as he pounded his fist into his hand.

"Whoa, calm down there! You're not fighting for at least another hour or so yet, so wait and keep the adrenaline pumping for the match. You don't want to waste it here." The MC took a look at his clipboard. "Okay, our next participant is… Gohan!"

Gohan jumped a bit, surprised to hear his name. He gave his father and Piccolo a grin before, who smiled with pride as he walked up to the podium. Ryo and Videl, especially Videl, looked on with interest as he dipped his hand into the box. 

"Say, do I know you from somewhere kid?" The MC asked, noticing the boy looked an awful lot like Goku. "You aren't related to Goku in any way are you?"

"Yes I am," Gohan smiled proudly. "He's my father."

"Your father! That's wonderful! I guess fighting runs in the family huh? If you're half the competitor your father is, then this is bound to be one hell of a tournament."

"I'll try my best," Gohan said, as he pulled out the ball with the number '7' written on it. He then handed it to the MC.

"Looks like for the first time in Tenkaichi history we'll have two former champions, and they're offspring in the same tournament! The possibilities here are endless…" The MC quit rambling when he remembered he had a drawing to attend to. "Oh right! Gohan will be number 7! Now, will Krillen walk up to table? You're next!"

"Oh, it's my turn already?!" Krillen gulped nervously. "Well, guess I'd better get this over with."

"Try to draw a number in the top eight Krillen," Eighteen told him. "I'd hate to have to defeat you too early in the tournament. You can't make any money if you don't make it to the top five at least."

Krillen sweat dropped. "I'll try my best hon…"

Krillen reached deep down into the box, praying to draw anything but 12,8, and 4. He wanted to avoid fighting his wife, Gohan, and Vegeta at all costs. There were others he wasn't exactly crazy about the idea of being matched up with either, but he'd worry about them when it came their turn to draw. After playing around inside for a few seconds, Krillen pulled out the ball numbered '9'.

"Number nine… Let's see, that puts me up against…" Krillen looked up at the board, and sweat dropped when he saw the name Hail scribbled under the number 10. "Oh wonderful! I have to fight one of those wired ninja guys in the first round!"

"Okay, we have our first match setup now folks! It will be Krillen vs. Hail! Okay, the next entry is Yamu!"

Yamu gave Spopovich a look, as if he was sending him some sort of message. Probably instructing him to stay put, and behave himself. Yamu seemed much more calm, and in control compared to his intense partner. He reached into the box, and snapped up a ball looking at it for only a second before giving it to the MC.

"Got right to the point didn't you? Okay, Yamu is number 12! That means Taro is up next!"

A collective grimace hit the face of almost every Z-fighter as Taro trotted up towards to podium. The creature smirked, sensing the accusing eyes of many of the onlookers piercing into him.

"Wow…" the MC marveled as he looked at him. "You are most definitely different from anyone I've ever seen before at this tournament."

"Let's just say I'm from out of town," Taro smirked, as he dipped his hand into the box and pulled out a ball. "Hmm… Number 2. Interesting, looks like I'll get to start things off."

----------

"Damn that Trunks!" Hercule growled, as he tried to apply some bandages to his face. "Where did that kid learn how to punch like that anyway?!"

Hercule quickly jumped to attention when he heard a knock at his door. "Pardon me Hercule sir, but may I come in?" 

"Umm… Sure, hold on a second," Hercule said, as he quickly removed the bandages from his face before the short monk walked inside.

"Excuse me sir, but the drawing is being held now. Are you going to attend?"

"Umm… I'm busy right now, so tell them to go ahead and draw without me," Hercule said, as he picked up a bottle of water from the table next to the bed. "So, how is the competition shaping up? Did anyone else even manage to score over a hundred?"

"Actually yes…"

"Oh really?! Probably Videl huh?" Hercule laughed, as he put his bottle of water to his lips. 

"Well actually… Everybody in the tournament scored over one hundred this year… In fact, several scored over two hundred, and a pair of boys even scored over a thousand…"

Hercule almost chocked on his water, before spewing it out all over the place. "What?! That's impossible! You're either joking, or that machine must be busted or something!"

"No, we checked it several times… The machine was working exactly the way it was supposed to. In fact… You're not going to like this, but sixteen other fighters actually scored higher then you… Which means if you hadn't won the Tenkaichi last time around, then you wouldn't even have qualified this year…"

Hercule stared at the monk with his mouth hanging open. "There's no… There's no way those wimps can be stronger than me! I don't care what those scores said, I'm still the champ! I'm going out there to see just what in the hell is going on!"  


The monk sweat dropped, as Hercule blew past him. "It looks to me like you're in over your head… Talk about an ego out of control."

----------

"Okay then, seeing as Hercule is held up at the moment, I guess I'll draw for him," the MC said before sticking his hand into the box.

"Not so fast announcer guy!" a burly voice called from inside the building connected to the square where the drawing was being held.

"Could it be?" The MC asked dramatically.

Hercule remained hidden another second or two, for dramatic effect, before charging out onto the square, sporting his usual cape, and making his usual entrance. He danced around and did his usual poses, finishing up with his famous hand on hip other hand high up the air sporting the victory sign pose, striking it proudly in front of the mass of Tenkaichi fighters gathered in the square for the drawing. "Ah ha! Hercule! Gwar har!"

Hercule held his pose making himself look like a complete idiot. He was expecting some sort of reaction. Mostly either wild applause, or awestruck stares at the great Hercule from the other fighters. Hercule waited, and looked on waiting for their response…

(Crickets chirp)

Hercule sweat dropped, and his grin left his face. "Umm… Hello people! Hercule here… You know, World Champion? The guy who defeated Cell…"

(More crickets join in)

"Hi dad," Videl said, giving him a little wave.

"Hey sweat pea…" Hercule mumbled, looking completely stunned. Hmm… That's weird. They must be concentrating really hard on fighting… Or maybe I've intimated them all speechless? Yeah, that must be it! I knew it, they're all scared of me… Ewe, what the hell is that big hairy thing with the horns? Or that green guy, and the little purple dude? Damn, is this the Tenkaichi Budokai, or a circus side show?!

"Gee, the crowd seems rather focused don't they?" the MC said, wondering why Hercule didn't receive a warmer response. "Well Hercule, I'm sure we have over 100 thousand+ fans itching to see some action today, so if we can move this thing along…"

"Oh right, my fans!" Hercule said, perking back up. "They know a champ when they see one! Let's go do this announcer guy!"

"Umm… Sure thing Hercule, but my name is…"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever, let's get moving okay," Hercule cut him off, then quickly jabbed his hand into the draw box. He stuck his tongue out of the side of his mouth, as his hand searched around inside the box before pulling his arm back out. "Okay, I'm number 15! Now, who does that put me up against?"

Hercule walked over to the big board to examine it more closely. 

1.

2. Taro

3. Vegeta

4.

5. 

6. Spopovich

7. Gohan

8.

9. Krillen

10. Hail

11. 

12. Yamu

13. Eighteen

14.

15. Hercule

16. Kabito

"Hum… Kabito huh?" Hercule said, as he scratched underneath his chin. "So, that's my first victim? He sounds like a wimp! Who is this guy anyway announcer gu… Whoa…"

Hercule turned around sharply, and smacked right into a very large and rather menacing looking man with a pinkish complexion. A small bead of sweat trickled down Hercule's cheek as he looked up at him. A small smirk crossed the MC's lips, as he pointed his cupped hand towards Kabito even though Hercule couldn't see it. "Hercule, meet Kabito."

"Oh… Hey, there big guy. I was just kidding about the wimp crack you know?… Your looking kind of pink there aren't you? You sick or something?" Hercule gulped, as Kabito looked down and growled at him. Hercule just stood there nervously until Kabito finally got tired of looking at him and turned away.

"Yeah, that's right! You better walk away!" Hercule jeered as soon as Kabito's back was turned. Kabito stopped in his tracks, turning his head around to glare at Hercule one more time. Hercule sweat dropped, and immediately turned tailed and walked off quickly. "Hey announcer guy, I'm headed to my dressing room! Let me know when it's time for my match okay?"

"Sure thing Hercule, but my name is…" the MC stopped, as Hercule had already retreated indoors. "Never mind… Forget I said anything. Okay, next to draw is Piccolo!"

Piccolo strolled over to the table casually, not even bothering to uncross his arms before dipping his hand into the draw box.

"Hey, it's good to see you here again," the MC said to him. "Try not to blow up the place this time okay?"

"I'll try," Piccolo smirked, as he pulled a ball out of the box. His smirk instantly faded, and his face tightened up as he read his number. "Number 1..."

"Number 1 hey? So that would match you up against…"

"Taro," Piccolo mumbled, as he looked back at the strange newcomer. Taro smirked fiendishly, and even had the nerve to wave at him. Piccolo sneered back at him, taking this new development very seriously. Well… At least I'll get to see just how powerful this guy is… Whatever he is…

"Man, look at the way they're staring each other down!" the MC whispered to himself. "This is looking to be like one heck of an opening match!"

"Hmm… Not many spots left," Videl observed, as the flow of the tournament became clearer with each drawing. "At least one bracket in every pairing has been filled now… Everyone else who draws from here on out will have to be paired with someone."

"Yeah…" Gohan agreed, just thinking about the exact same thing. "I wonder who'll I'll end up fighting?"

Videl raised her eyebrow, and smiled at him. "Could be me you know? What are you going to then Gohan?"

"Well… I'll just have to kick your pretty butt then, I guess." Gohan returned a smile of his own.

"You kick my butt?! Ha! Not a chance buddy! I don't care if you can fly, and know how to change your hair color at will! I can still mop the ring with you!"

"We'll see about that…"

Ryo was standing directly in back of the young couple giggling slightly. He wasn't amused by Gohan and Videl's little argument, but more by their hands… And the fact that Videl's hand was firmly placed inside of Gohan's. Ryo had noticed this as early as when Krillen was drawing, and doubted that the two kids even noticed what they were doing. He didn't fancy either one of them would do that kind of thing in public on purpose, not at this point and time anyway. He was waiting to see how they'd react when they realized what they were doing, and trying not to die laughing in the process. He'd even alerted Krillen to the fact, who was also giggling and trying hard not to make some smart ass comment and ruin the moment. 

"I can't take this anymore, I have to say something before I explode!" Ryo giggled, and tapped Videl on the shoulder. Videl inched her head around slightly, looking quit content. "Yes? Something wrong Ryo?"

"No, I just wanted to ask you something…"

"What is it?" Videl asked, as now Gohan turned his head around to see what the two were talking about. What they saw was Ryo and Krillen trying hard not to bust a gut. 

"Well, you do know that you have to go up there and draw eventually, don't you Videl?" Ryo snickered.

Videl frowned. "Yeah I know. Why did you bring that up?"

"Well, I was just wondering…" Gohan and Videl went pale as that all too familiar evil grin crossed Ryo's lips. The one he always flashed whenever he was about to say something to embarrass the hell out of one of them. They just didn't know why he was wearing it just yet. "Videl are… Are you going to let go of Gohan when you go up there to draw, or do you plan and taking him with you?"

"Huh?" Gohan and Videl both said, and then looked at each other confused. They then looked back towards Ryo, who pointed down. Of course they looked, and saw they were holding hands. Of course they both freaked, and pulled their hands away both blushing shades of red humans were never intended to turn. Of course, this sent Krillen and Ryo into fits of hysterical laughter at the way they reacted. 

"Shut up guy's, it's not funny!" Gohan cried, with a blood red face. "We didn't even notice we were doing it… Um, did you?"

"No!" Videl replied when he looked at her.

"Oh come on!" Krillen jeered. "What's the problem guys? I thought you looked cute!"

"Okay, next up for the drawing is Videl!"

Videl sighed with relief, seeing her course for escape form this embarrassing situation. "Well, that's me guys! I better go draw!"

"Good luck Videl!" Gohan wished, as she walked rather fast towards the podium.

Ryo smirked. "Are you wishing her luck, or are you just wishing you'll get lucky?"

"Shut up Ryo!"

"Say Videl… I've noticed you and that Gohan boy seem rather chummy," the MC said to her rather slyly. "There isn't anything going on behind the scenes that might well… You know…"

Videl frowned at him, her hand already sticking in the box. "Something that might add an interesting side story for your tournament you mean? Well, I'm sorry to burst your bubble, but he's just a friend from school! Even if he was anything more I certainly wouldn't tell you, just so you can air my personal life out in the open just to make an extra buck or two!"

"Of course not, I never expected you too, but I had to try," the MC replied coolly. His demeanor then changed to that of a more personal nature, rather then the promoter trying to package an entertaining product. "Still, I think there's something you're not telling me Videl. I've know you since you were eye-level with your father's knees, and I know how particular you can get with the people you associate yourself with. Not to mention that I've never seen you smile this much in all the years I've know you. There has to be some sort of reason for it doesn't there? I just assumed that it might be a potentially romantic and conveniently profitable one… Considering the two youngsters involved just happen to be the children of the last two Tenkaichi Budokai winners…"

Videl blushed a bit, and then grinned with her eyebrows in their usual position right above her eyelids. "You never give up do you? I'm sorry, but there's still nothing going on between us… Yet anyway. If you're a good boy, and something does happen then maybe I'll tell you. Until then, we're just friends, so I better not hear of any rumors starting up or I'll know who started them."

"Hey, I promise I won't say a word! I guess it does make sense though…" the blond man, scratched under his chin thoughtfully. "Hercule would be going ballistic if he even thought you were seeing a boy…"

Videl sweat dropped. "He already has assumed the wrong thing once already, and I'm sure he will again probably before this night's over. In the meantime, I'm number 5." Videl handed the MC the ball she drew.

The MC looked down at his clipboard and smiled. "Well, I have to say that this feels really good to say after all these years, but up next is Goku!"

Goku smiled, then stretched a little before walking over to the draw box. 

"Why did your dad stretch when all he has to do is draw?" Videl asked Gohan, as she walked up beside him.

"That's just his way of focusing I guess. Get the adrenaline pumping you know?"

"Either that, or he's worried about pulling a hamstring walking up to the table or something," Ryo commented. Gohan didn't say anything, just gave him a funny look through the corner of his eye.

"It's been a long time Goku. Are you ready for this?" The MC asked him.

"I'm always ready for a good fight," Goku smiled, and dipped his hand in the box. He searched around until he found a ball that felt right. He pulled it out and gasped at first when he read his number, but that soon turned into a confident smirk.

"Interesting reaction," the MC noted. "And now if you'll give that to me I'll…"

"Hold on a second," Goku said, closing his hand on the ball. "I don't want to ruin the surprise."

Before the MC could protest, Goku had already turned his back to him and headed straight for Vegeta. He stopped in front of him, giving Vegeta that all to familiar grin of his. A wave of adrenaline rushed through the prince's veins as to what that look meant. A fight with Kakarott was just what he was looking for to prove his true power as the Prince of the Sayian race. Getting a hold of him in the first round would've been as good a time as any.

"Check this out," Goku said, as he opened up his hand for Vegeta to see the number he drew. Vegeta gasped at first, but snickered slightly soon afterward. 

"What?! Not those two…" Piccolo gaped, unsure of what else to say.

"No way! You mean it's you and Vegeta right off the bat dad!" Gohan asked, hardly able to believe what he heard.

"Not exactly son," Goku said, and tossed his boy the ball. Gohan caught it, and the ball landed in perfect position for him to see the number stamped onto it. "Number 8..."

Piccolo and Ryo both jumped. "Number 8!" Ryo screeched.

Piccolo would add. "But that means you have to fight…"

Krillen laughed in excitement over this. "Whoa-ho! Gohan and Goku in the first round! Wow, this is going to awesome!"

"Yeah… Awesome…" Gohan mumbled, not sure if he thought that way or not.

"Hey, don't look so nervous about it son," Gohan told him. "Cut lose and enjoy yourself! This might be the last time in a long time you'll get a chance to fight with your old man. I don't want you holding anything back, because I sure don't intend to."

"Sure thing dad…" Gohan smiled, as the realization of what was to come finally set in. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad after all.

"Humph, Kakarott and his brat hey?" Vegeta whispered to himself. "This ridiculous sideshow might just prove to be a bit interesting after all."

"Wow, what an interesting turn of events this year!" the MC raved. You could almost see little dollar signs ring up behind his sunglasses. "The winner of a past Tenkaichi facing off against his own son in the first found! The ratings are going to fly through the roof!"

"Gee Gohan, you have to fight your own dad," Videl whispered to him, unable to imagine what kind of internal struggles he must have been going through right then. "This is serious stuff… I know I wouldn't want to be going into that ring with my father.. . At least not right off the bat…"

"Yeah well… I don't have much of a choice, so there's no need in worrying about it I guess…"

"Okay, let's get this show rolling! Next we have Ryo!"

Ryo jumped, feeling a bit of nervous anxiety creep through his body. "Don't be nervous Ryo," Gohan told his friend, noticing he seemed a bit edgy. "Just walk up there and draw a number. You've got nothing to be nervous about yet."

"Maybe… I guess I should just get this over with…"

Ryo walked toward the table, and immediately felt Vegeta's eyes piercing into him. He turned towards the Sayian prince who smirked at him. "There aren't a lot of slots left on that board boy. Yet, one of them just happens to be mine. If I were you I might be careful what you draw."

"Umm… Right." Ryo played with the neck of his Gi, and continued towards the podium. "Nothing to be nervous about huh Gohan?"

"Anything but number 4, anything but number 4, please Kami anything but number 4," Ryo rambled quietly to himself, as he stuck his hand into the box. "Oh gee… I wonder what I'm going to draw now?"

"Hmm… Ryo seems to be a little afraid of Vegeta doesn't he?" Goku observed.

"Afraid isn't the word," Piccolo began to explain for Goku. "He isn't afraid of Vegeta. It's just that Vegeta's been giving him a hard time about being human, and Ryo would rather not have to deal with him."

"I see… So, tell me Piccolo. Is Ryo human? Fully human anyway?"

"As far as I know," Piccolo replied. "I do, however, know there are a few things he still hides from even me."

Ryo pulled his hand out of the box slowly, his hand clutching the ball tightly. He opened his hand slowly, and sighed in relief when he found the number '11' staring back at him. "Whew… Eleven always has been my lucky number…" Ryo looked up at the board.

11. 

12. Yamu

"Yamu huh? Great, I get the other spaz case…"

"Alright folks, next to draw is Shin! Will Shin please step forward?"

"Ready," the little purple man said excitedly, and walked over to the podium.

The Z-senshi watched with interest as he made his way, Goku and Piccolo in particular. Piccolo for one, was still shaking from his very presence.

"Man Piccolo, does this guy really bother you that much?" Gohan asked him.

"Yes… I don't know what it is about him but… His energy just isn't normal… He's strong, but it's a different type of strong…"

"Humph! If you ask me I think the little Namek here is afraid," Vegeta sneered.

"I'm number 4," Shin announced, as he read the number on his ball.

Vegeta's head immediately snapped up. "Well, well… You see there Piccolo. You have nothing to worry to about, I'll handle this little problem for you. Maybe little Shin over there, will show me just why he has you so worried."

"Don't take him lightly Vegeta!" Piccolo practically growled at him. "I don't know what it is yet, but there's something very different about him! You'd be a fool to underestimate him! He's strong… Very strong… I know I know him from somewhere… I just can't remember where or how…"

"Spare me your ramblings Namek! You have your own problems to worry about," Vegeta commented, while shooting a suspicious eye over towards Taro. "You worry about your opponent, and I'll worry about mine."

"Okay then, last but not least we have Rain!" the MC announced.

Rain walked over to the box, but it was all jus for show at that time. There was only one spot left on the board, meaning there was only one ball left to draw in the box. Rain reached in, and pulled it out. 

"I think it's safe to say that's number 14." The MC waited for the monk to scribble Rain's name on the board, before announcing the completion of the drawing. "Alright everybody! We now have a full board of fighters! The pairings go as follows!"

Our first match pits Piccolo vs. Taro!

Our second match features Vegeta vs. Shin!

Match number three is Videl vs. Spopovich!

Match number four features Gohan vs. Goku!

Bout number five will pit Krillen vs. Hail!

Match number six will be Ryo vs. Yamu!

Bout number seven is Eighteen vs. Rain 

And our final bout of the first round will feature Hercule vs. Kabito!

"Okay then fighters, the fighting will commence immediately. Before I escort you to the waiting area, the rules are as follows. You lose if you're knocked out of the ring, give up, fall unconscious, are unable to answer a ten-count, for any other reason you are deemed unable to continue in a match, or if you unfortunately kill your opponent. Okay folks, without any further delay let's begin the twenty-fifth annual Tenkaichi Budokai!"

The MC led the fighters into the waiting room, where they quite conveniently waited as the Tenkaichi promoter warmed up the crowd. Chichi, Bulma, Yamcha, Ox King, Roshi, and the kids all cheered from their seats. Well… Everyone expect Yamcha who was still moping slightly. Even Erasa and Sharpner had bought tickets to view the action, sitting in a section on the other side of the arena from Chichi's group… Of course Sharpner had tricked Erasa into buying his ticket for him. Ryo's friend Takura didn't even bother to take a seat. He found a secluded hallway to stand in that gave him a clear view of the ring, and the entryway where the fighters would walk down to enter the ring. 

Various emotions ran through the fighters as the time drew near to begin the tournament. The older veteran fighters stood back patiently, waiting for the fighting to being. The young newcomers looked out at the scene unfolding outside the waiting room in awe, butterflies floating around in their stomachs in anticipation of their first performance on the big stage. Even one of the shorter, formally bald, old veterans was nervous about his return to the ring after all those years. Several others weren't even thinking about fighting, but ulterior motives complete contrary to what the Tenkaichi was all about. All those questions about them would become clear within the next several hours, along with one final pressing question. Who would become the champion of the 25th Tenkaichi Budokai?

End.

-Wow… I'm not sure what it was, but I really got into this chapter, especially the drawing section towards the end. I know that little Gohan and Videl scene right after the qualifying round was a bit sudden, but I literally thought that scene up right then and there. 

Chapter Fifteen Preview! I'm not sure exactly how far into the tournament chapter 15 will go yet. At least Piccolo vs. Taro and Vegeta and Shin should be featured. Maybe more depending on how long the those two matches take. I'm trying to cut each chapter off at twenty pages. It makes it easier for me on editing, and prevents me taking three weeks in between postings as what happened with this chapter!


	15. Chapter 15

-Well today's my birthday, and I decided to celebrate by posting chapter fifteen! Damn, I'm feeling old right now… I'm over the hill as far as most fanfic writers go. Well, I hope you guys enjoy this! At least I didn't make you wait nearly a month this time! 

Disclaimer: Still don't own DBZ, or the characters betrayed in this story. Only Taro belongs to me, and he ain't worth a Big Mac and a side of fries.

Chapter 15

"So, this is what it's like," Ryo gaped, looking a bit tentative as he stared out at the rowdy crowd, most of whom were on their feet cheering as the MC did what he did best. Running his mouth. "I expected the Tenkaichi to be a spectacle, but I had no idea it would be quite like this…"

"I know, isn't it great?!" Videl cheered with a pump of both of her fists. Ryo didn't seem as excited. "I've been waiting years for this chance… Now it's finally here in only a few more minutes!"

"It is kind of exciting isn't it?" Gohan asked, standing next to her. 

Goku, who'd been standing behind them looking out at the scene himself, took in a deep breath taking in the smell of the air. "The adrenaline pumping… The feel of the excitement floating in the air ready to explode at any second. My body shaking in anticipation… Man, I love being alive again!"

Ryo looked up at him somewhat inquisitively. "Umm… Excuse me Goku sir, but technically you're still dead. Your body was just allowed to cross over to this plain for twenty-four hours."

Goku sweat dropped, and his body slumped dejectedly. "Oh yeah, that's right… I almost forgot…"

"Ryo! Why did you have to bring that up for?!" Gohan frowned at him.

"Hey, relax Gohan," his father told him. "It was no big deal, the fact just sort of slipped my mind. I'm glad somebody reminded me of it. It's still nice to be back on Earth though. Especially in this environment. My blood hasn't pumped this fast in ages!"

"Well, at least some of us are excited," Gohan commented, diverting his eyes over towards Piccolo. He was leaning against the wall while trembling slightly, apparently having difficulty carrying out his usual pre-fight ritual. "Piccolo never moves an inch while he's meditating normally. He's obviously got something on his mind."

"He does seem kind of stressed out," Videl noticed. "You think he's just nervous about his opponent for the first match?"

"I'd say that's exactly the problem." Goku looked serious as he said that. "This Taro most definitely must be something to make Piccolo act like this."

"Well, he does look kind of creepy, but size and looks only don't make somebody a good fighter," Videl snipped. 

"It's not his looks that bother him Videl," Ryo told her. "This guy is strong… A very dark type of strength, and Piccolo knows it."

"Really? Well then, how strong do you think this guy is? Not stronger than my dad obviously…"

Gohan, Ryo, and Goku collectively frowned, and didn't bother to dignify that with an answer. Instead, Goku moved towards his old friend, with the boys following his lead. 

"Hey Piccolo."

Piccolo jumped, a bit startled when Goku greeted him. "Oh Goku… Is something wrong?"

"You tell me," Goku said to him. "You're not acting like yourself Piccolo. Is this Taro really getting to you that much? I know he's strong but…"

"No, it's not Taro," Piccolo said quickly. "I'm concerned with where he comes from, and who sent him here more then his strength…"

Goku looked confused. "Then what's bothering you Piccolo?"

Piccolo gyrated again, and shot a glare across the room. "Him!"

Goku turned to his right to see Shin and Kabito staring back at them, Shin grinning like a madman plotting to disembowel his latest victim. "Shin?" Goku asked him. "Are those two still making you nervous?"

"Yes! I don't know what it is yet but… I know, I know him from somewhere… He's stared at me like that several times already… Not to mention everyone else… It's like he's surveying us… Analyzing our builds and demeanors… Like he's dissecting us for some methodical purpose… If he has to stare at us, I'd at least prefer it if he didn't grin that way!"

Goku eyed Shin suspiciously. The short purple man seemed a bit surprised to sense Goku's eyes on him, but that smile soon returned to his face. Goku's eyes widened a little at how calm and deliberate the little man appeared to be. "He approached me earlier you know?"

"What?!" Piccolo's head snapped around. "What did he say to you?"

"Nothing much… Just that he wants to fight me sometime during this tournament… He said something about me being sort of a legend where he's from, and that it would be an honor to climb in the ring with me."

Vegeta grunted at this. He'd been leaning up against the same wall Piccolo had been only a few feet away from the Namek. "Well, if he thinks you're a legend then he must've crawled out of a cave somewhere! Besides, he's delusional if he thinks he's going to get the chance to fight you. In case you've forgotten he has me in the first round, and he certainly isn't going to make it any farther then that!"

"Probably not, but keep your guard up anyway Vegeta," Goku advised him. "There may be something about him we can't see yet… Actually, that's probably a definite."

"Humph! You sound just as bad as the Namek over there! Don't concern yourself with my business!" Vegeta smirked hoping he knew what to say to rile him up. "You should be worrying about fighting your son."

  
Goku just smiled at this. "I know… Trust me I am, and I'm looking forward to it." Vegeta snickered softly, and continued looking towards the ground.

"Are Piccolo and your dad really that worried about that Shin guy?" Videl asked Gohan as she examined the little purple man, wondering what the hell anyone could find menacing about him. Except that devious little smirk that could scare the pokkadots right off of her dad's underwear. "He doesn't seem all that tough to me…"

"That's because you don't know how to sense Ki yet," Gohan informed her.

Videl frowned at this. "Well, you haven't taught me how yet?! All you did was show me how to use it, so I can fly!"

"It's not something anyone can teach you Videl," Gohan smirked. "It's a trait you have to learn to pick up on your own, but training you to control your Ki more effectively will go a long way in helping you learn. Still, I kind of agree with what you said about Shin though. There is something strange about him, but I don't see any major cause for concern. He's strong, but I don't sense any evil energy from him…"

Gohan was going to ask Ryo for his opinion, but he didn't have to. He could tell with just one look of Ryo's face, his brow furrowed low over his eyes as he stared a hole through the purple man. Ryo answered Gohan's unasked question anyway. "I don't know Gohan… I agree with Piccolo. I agree that I don't sense anything evil from him as well, and I don't think Piccolo does either. There's something else about him that's getting to him… His energy is just… I know I've felt it somewhere before, or at least something similar."

Gohan looked thoughtful as he examined Shin. "Hmm… Just who are you Shin?"

As if on cue, Shin smirked and turned towards the three teens that were observing him. "Be patient young ones. You'll know who I am soon enough."

All three of them jumped. "Damn, he overheard us!" Ryo groaned.

Man this guy is weird, Videl thought to herself.

"No, I'm not weird Miss Satan. Well… Then again, I can see why you humans might consider me strange. I suppose I forgot that I am a short purple man with a mo-hawk walking around in a world full tall pinkish creatures."

"How did you?!" Videl chocked out, then looked up at Gohan with surprise filling wide eyes. "Did I say that out loud?!"

Gohan shook his head in confusion. "I didn't hear you say anything."

"That's because she didn't…" Ryo whispered. "He must be able to read minds."

Shin overheard Ryo's soft words and grinned, walking causally in their direction. The trio tensed up a tiny bit as the mysterious Shin approached them. "Forgive me if I've frightened you at all, that wasn't my intention. I mean no ill will towards any of you, so if that's what's concerning you then I assure you it's pointless. I'll admit that I have had my eye on several of you, but I was merely curious. It's sort of my job to observe things I guess you could say. Life forms such as yourselves tend to interest me, that's all."

"What do you mean life forms?!" Videl frowned, not liking the thought of anybody observing her. At least not in the way that popped up into her mind right away. She didn't want anybody even thinking about observing her like that… Except for maybe Gohan…

"I mean humans in general," Shin grinned. "Measure their strengths and weakness. I can tell a lot about people just by observing them for a minute or two. Such as yourself young lady. I can see you have enormous potential, but you just seem to have recently even begun to realize it."

"What do you mean by that?!" Videl seethed, letting her temper get the best of her. "I'll have you know that I've been able to beat up just about anybody I wanted to since I was twelve, so how can you say I'm just now realizing my full potential?! I know I'm young but…"

"He's talking about your Ki Videl," Gohan interrupted her. "He means you've just started to learn how to handle your Ki."

Videl's brow furrowed low over her eyes. "What's that have to do with anything?!"

"I promise I'll tell you after the tournament Videl… It's one of those things, I'll tell you then so please just be patient."

Shin's smile widened at the pair's conversation. "That's one of the things that has always fascinated me about humans. You keep things from each other in order to protect one another… Very strange. And these attachments you grow towards one another… I can tell the bonds between the three of you are strong, especially the one between you and Videl Gohan. While many cultures would consider this petty or a weakness, there are those of you who drive on them and build strength off of that you hold most dear to you. If it wasn't for the desire to protect the ones you love Gohan, then you never would've achieved that next level of strength that ultimately helped you defeat that monster all those…"

Shin paused when he read some rather panicked thoughts that entered Gohan's head. Not to mention the blush creeping across the young Sayian's face. If Shin hadn't shut himself up, Gohan might have insisted he do so in another few seconds. Shin looked to Videl, and then back to Gohan and smiled. "I see… So, the girl doesn't know yet? Okay, then I'll allow you to be the one to tell her about that when you feel the time is right. I guess this does prove my point however."

Gohan nodded his head, and looked over at Videl who looked like she was about to explode. "What is he talking about Gohan?! What don't I know yet?! What level of strength did you achieve?! What monster?! What point?! What the hell is going on?!"

Gohan sweat dropped, as Videl began to shake his arm. "Later tonight Videl! I promised I'll tell you everything, and I will! Let's just concentrate on the tournament right now!"

Videl growled disgustedly, and let go of his arm. She crossed her arms over her chest, and turned her head to the side. "Fine! This better be damn good though Gohan! I feel like I'm about to pop a vein here if I don't find out something soon!"

While Gohan was trying to prevent Videl from tarring his arm off, Ryo had wandered off over towards where Piccolo was still standing. His eyes were shut tightly, and he was still shaking. He hated to bother his old sensei right before such a big fight, but he needed to tell him something. Something that might just ease his mind… He had noticed something from Shin while he was talking to them, and not to mention something strange about himself. "Hey Piccolo. Try not to act so tense, I'm worried enough for the both of us as it is."

Piccolo opened his eyes, and smirked slightly for his former student. "Thanks, but if it's all the same to you I think I'll worry for myself anyway. Don't tell me you're worried about that Yamu fighter now are you?"

"No, it's not him that bothers me… It's the crowd. I can't even sing in front of my cat without getting stage fright! To think all those eyes are going to be on me… My only hope is that I don't buckle under the pressure."

"Don't worry. Just relax yourself, and pretend the crowd's not even there," Piccolo suggested. "Once you get your mind into the fight, they'll become a moot point anyway. You know you should make it to the finals at least Ryo. I'll know you've dogged it if you don't. There's nobody on your side of the bracketing that should give you much trouble. Your closely matched, but you should be able to take out Eighteen. My only concern would be with that Kabito character. He shouldn't be too much for you to handle, but I just don't know yet."

"Only one way to find out I guess," Ryo laughed nervously.

"So, tell me... I know you didn't come over here just to tell me to loosen up. What's on your mind kid?"

Ryo looked around to make sure no one was listening in on them. "I think I might've found out something about Shin…"

Needless to say, Piccolo looked interested. "What have you learned."

"Well, for one I just found out that he can read minds… While he was talking to us, I picked up something… Actually, I was trying to concentrate on his energy when I picked up something… I think I read a couple of his thoughts…"

"You read his thoughts?" Piccolo asked, looking shocked. "Since when could you do that?"

"This is the first time as far as I can remember! I don't know how I did it but…I did pick up a name from him... More like a title or something actually. Does the name Supreme Kai mean anything to you?"

  
Piccolo's face erupted with shock in such a way that Ryo feared his mentor might've had a stroke. "The Supreme…"

"Whoa, are you alright Piccolo?!"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Piccolo grunted, after sucking in his breath.

"I'm guessing by your reaction that that name does mean something to you. What exactly is a Supreme Kai anyway?" Piccolo expression looked serious, as he stared Ryo in the eyes. He then proceeded to tell him about other world, and the role of the Kai's.

"Wow," Ryo marveled as he received a new perspective on this little purple man. "You mean he's like…"

"He's the overseer of the universe pretty much. As you can imagine that's a rather big job. No, he's not a God or anything, but he's the next best thing. Now the only questions left are why is he here, and what are we going to do about it?"

"I'd also like to know how in the world I managed to pick up on his thought patterns…"

That's because I allowed you to.

Ryo jumped, as a voice not belonging to him suddenly spoke up in his head. He quickly recognized it as Shin's. Shin?! What in the world?… How can I hear you in my thoughts?!

"Ryo, are you alright?" Piccolo asked with concern.

I'm communicating with you telepathically. It's something I can only do with people with strong psychic energy. Feel proud of yourself young man. This was a most unexpected surprise… I didn't know there were humans on Earth with psychic powers.

As far as I know I'm the only one… There are a lot of humans that claim to have psychic powers, but they're mostly con artists looking to cheat people out of their money. Anyway, why in the world did you let me read your thoughts? How could you have even let me?!

Because I know how to mask my thoughts when it's necessary. I let you see what I wanted you to see… Or hear whatever I wanted you to hear, whichever sense you want to contribute that ability too. Most likely your sixth. Still, if you could do me one favor and keep this little secret to yourself for now. I'll reveal my identity to everyone when the time is right. I understand that you've already told Piccolo… As I recall he was the guardian of this planet at one time, so I'm not surprised he's heard of me. Just let him know to keep it between the two of you for now for me alright?

Well… A couple minutes ago I might've said no, but now that's Piccolo's explained to me just who you are I'd have to be out of my mind to cross you. Still, if I agree to keep your identity secret, could you at least tell me what the overseer of the known universe is doing at an insignificant Earth tournament?

My presence here is more important then you could imagine Ryo. I'm sorry, but I cannot tell you the details at this time. Trust me when I say you'll know everything soon enough. As I understand it, you have your own reasons for being here which are well founded. You better concentrate on protecting your friend, and I'll worry about my business for now. I also noticed that Piccolo's been concerned with the way I've been observing the fighters as have you. Tell him not to worry, I was merely surveying the field to see who was on my side, and whom I have to keep an eye on.

Really now?… So, whose side are you on anyway?

That's when the telepathic connection was cut off. If Ryo didn't know any better, he could've sworn he felt Shin smirk in his mind's eye. In the meantime, Piccolo was gawking at Ryo worriedly. The boy had been out of it for a good thirty-forty seconds, without moving a muscle except for to blink. He waved his hand in front of Ryo's face, wondering if he should shake the boy or something to break him out of his trance. "Ryo! Snap out of it kid! Can you hear me?!"

Ryo's brow furrowed. "I can hear you Piccolo, there's no need to shout in my face now."

Piccolo's ears tweaked upward. "What happened? You spaced out for a minute there."

"I was talking with Shin… Telepathically anyway."

"You were talking with the Supreme Kai?!" Piccolo began to shake slightly.

"Yeah, that's how I read his thoughts earlier. He said he let me do it. He also says that he doesn't want us to tell anyone he's the Supreme Kai just yet, so we might want to keep referring to him as Shin. He said he'd tell everyone whom he is when the time comes. Judging by what you told me about him, I thought it would be best to take his word for it."

"Yes, that would be the proper decision," Piccolo said, in a well duh type of voice. 

"He also mentioned to tell you not to worry about the looks he's been giving you and the other fighters. He wanted to scope out the competition so to speak. Measure our strength , and decide who's on his side or not. He cut me off before he told me which side he was on, but I'm hoping he's on ours."

"Don't be ridiculous Ryo, of course he is! He's the Supreme Kai! His job is to protect the universe, not threaten it! If he's here, that could only something big is about to happen…" Piccolo turned towards where the two Ray Lien were standing. "Maybe it has something to do with them?…"

"No, I don't think so…" Ryo looked thoughtful. "Shin mentioned that I needed to take care of my own problems, and he'll worry about his for the time being. Since I'm here to help protect Videl from the Ray Lien, I can only assume Shin's here to check out somebody else."

"But who?" Piccolo surveyed the waiting room. His eyes soon found Taro, who grinned evilly sensing the Namek's piercing eyes. Piccolo ignored him, and shifted his gaze towards Spopovich and Yamu. "Then, it would have to be one of them… But what could they possibly?…"

"Hey Piccolo!" Krillen yelped excitedly. "The uh… What is his name anyway? Oh well, the MC is finishing up his introduction, and is just about to call for the first match! You might want to get ready."

Piccolo nodded his head, and headed for the entryway. "I'm on my way… Keep your eyes open Ryo… Don't take that Yamu lightly. We have no way of knowing what secrets he might be hiding."

"Don't be worrying about the boy right now green man," a burly voice snickered. Piccolo sneered as his opponent Taro walked up next to him. "Worry about your own problems… To be more exact me."

"Trust me, I'm not overlooking you." That was all Piccolo would say to him before moving towards the daylight. Taro smirked, and followed after him.

"Without any further delay, let the 25th Tenkaichi Budokai begin!" the MC announced to the massive cheers of the crowd. "We're going to begin the fighting with what's shaping up to be quite a grudge match, Piccolo vs. Taro! Let's get both fighters out here!"

Piccolo and Taro walked out onto the entryway. Taro shot Piccolo several sickening looks or grins along the way, but Piccolo ignored them all. "Piccolo is a veteran fighter who, if I'm not mistaking, almost blew this arena into dust the last time he was here. Not much is known about his opponent Taro except that this is his first tournament appearance, and he clearly has a monstrous size advantage over the other competitors."

"The bigger they are, the harder they fall as they say," Piccolo said to Taro from across the ring.

"Or the more bones they break," Taro jeered back. "We'll see which is which shortly."

"Well, I only have sixty-five bone in my entire body so…"

"Too bad. I guess I'll have to find some other way to entertain myself."

"Why don't you just shut your mouth and fight?!"  


"But I'd much prefer to goad and humiliate you while I beat you into a green stubby pulp."  


Piccolo just smirked at this. "Well now, you just try it."

In the meantime, the MC stood outside of the ring with his hand raised in the air to signal the start of the battle. "Okay fighters! On my mark… Now fight!"

Piccolo wasted no time, and with a howl charged towards his opponent. Taro stood his ground smirking an evil smirk, until Piccolo was right on him. The Namek threw a flurry of punches at him, that the demon dodged casually by moving his head to the side, taking a step back every so often. A good two dozen of those was more then enough for Taro who put an end to the little charade by catching Piccolo's fist in his hand. The Namek pulled desperately at his arm, but found he couldn't pry his hand out of Taro's grip even an inch. Piccolo took an ill-advised punch at Taro with his free hand, and Taro gave that blow the same treatment. Now with their arms crossed tightly in front of their chests, Piccolo sent a heated gaze his opponent's way. Taro just smiled at him.

"You know, normally I wouldn't have bothered to block, but you just might've done some damage to me. You're a lot stronger then I gave you credit for at first… Too bad it won't be near enough for you." Taro reared back his head, and slammed his horned forehead into Piccolo's face. Piccolo screamed out in agony, Taro laughing all the way as he let the Namek go and watched him stagger back.

"Whoa! What a vicious head-butt by Taro!" The MC announced over the microphone. "But Piccolo's still on his feet though stunned. That tells you what kind of competitor he is! Most lesser men would've had their skulls crushed in by an attack like that!"

"Damn, I should've seen that coming!" Piccolo berated himself. He probably should've saw what was coming next as well. That was Taro charging straight for him, before ramming his knee into the green man's gut. Piccolo doubled over, and released a hallowed breath, spit mixed with a bit of blood squirting out form his mouth. Taro raised his arm, and planted his elbow in the Namek's back sending Piccolo face first to the ground.

Piccolo groaned and tried to push himself up to his feet, but would get a little unwanted help. Taro assisted him by yanking on his cape, effectively strangling him as he pulled him up to his feet. He didn't waste any time letting Piccolo regain his balance, and quickly shoved his fist into his gut. Then he followed up with a right to his face, and then a left. Somehow, Piccolo managed to stay on his feet, but stammered around in a daze. Taro cackled happily, and launched three more quick attacks with one final blow to the face that sent the Namek sailing to the other side of the ring. Piccolo hit the surface hard, and bounced one time, barely avoiding tumbling right out of the ring."

"Piccolo!" Videl screeched as she watched Gohan's mentor getting pummeled.

"Don't worry about him Videl, he'll be fine," Ryo assured her. "Piccolo can take a lot more than that trust me… He's hurting, but he's barely winded right now."

"Is that true?" Videl asked Gohan, wanting to get a second opinion. 

"Yeah he'll be okay. Remember, we've trained with this guy. He knows how to handle himself."

"So… Do you really think Piccolo can beat him?"

Gohan's expression fell a tiny bit. "Actually, no I don't… But then again, he might surprise me. You can't rely on strength alone to win a fight you know. I can guarantee you though that Piccolo is going to put up one hell of a fight win, lose, or draw."

"Wow! Piccolo is down hard, and might just be out!" the MC assumed, bouncing around the outside area of the ring where Piccolo had nearly landed. "Well, I guess I'll start the ten count now! One, tw…"

"Oh spare me, I'm fine," Piccolo grunted. He picked himself up quickly, and dusted himself off. "It's going to take a lot more then that to keep me down."

The MC's eyes widened behind his glasses. "Well isn't this a surprise… Piccolo appears to be just fine! Then again, what else can we expect from the Tenkaichi Budokai!"

"It's about time you got up," Taro cackled. "For a minute there I was afraid you were going to lay there and play dead."

"Not exactly," Piccolo smirked, as he removed his cape then took the turban off the top of his head. "I was just taking a second to think."

"Wow… I don't quite know how to call this fans," the MC murmured. "It appears that Piccolo has begun stripping in the ring!"

"Hardly," Piccolo muffed at the man's ignorance before tossing his weighted training clothes outside of the ring. "Here, hold this."

"What… WHOA!" the poor announced cried as he foolishly tried to catch Piccolo's gear. His training clothes plummeted to the ground, nearly taking off the man's arms in the process.

"I can see it's going to be this type of fight now. Let's go!" Piccolo wasted no more words before lunging at Taro again. The demon sneered as Piccolo approached, but this time was caught by surprise. He could still manage to dodge everything Piccolo threw at him, but it was a much more trying task this time around. Taro had to be that much quicker, and was forced to move around a lot more.

"You're much faster all the sudden," Taro smirked, as he dodged blows "I take it those were waited training clothes you were wearing hey? Too bad it's still not fast enough."

"We'll see about that!" Piccolo growled, rearing back for another punch, but it only came halfway. Piccolo suddenly phased out, leaving Taro staring at the stop he'd just been with wide eyes.

"What the hell?! I didn't see where he…" Taro got his answer when he felt something smash into his face. Namely, Piccolo's foot. The beast reared backwards, more stunned that he'd actually been hit than anything else. Piccolo took full advantage and charged the monster successfully landing several punches to the face and chest before Taro regained his bearings and began to block him. Irritated by his opponent's sudden surge, he threw a punch at Piccolo that the Namek easily dodged. Piccolo saw the opening, and landed a roundhouse to Taro's face. The demon spun around, and landed with a monstrous thud to the ground.

"Alright Piccolo!" Krillen cheered from the sidelines. "Don't give in to that freak!"

Videl smiled expecting similar reactions from Gohan and Ryo… But she frowned when she saw the exact opposite. Piccolo was in control, but they almost seemed worried. Especially Goku who was standing on the other side of his son. Videl was wedged in between her two peers. "What's with the looks guys? Is something wrong? Your friend is winning the fight, and you guys look like someone's about to get executed or something!"

"Taro's playing with him," Goku answered for the group. "Piccolo was lucky to land that last hit, and he knows it. Look at him, he's not exactly savoring the moment or gloating about that last move now is he? He's planning out his next move, waiting for Taro to get his head back in the game. He knows he's in trouble, but he's not about to just give in either."

Videl frowned at this. "What do you mean in trouble? How do you even know that? He seems to be doing just fine to me."

"Like I told you before Videl," Gohan jumped in. "We can sense people's Ki… And Taro's is monstrously strong, not to mention evil. I just hope Piccolo can keep his head on his shoulders long enough to walk out of the ring in one piece… Literally."

Piccolo stared at Taro intently, as he picked his face up out of the ground. "What did I tell you. The bigger they are…"

"The harder they fell, yes indeed." Taro gawked at the nice dent he'd left on the ring floor. "Unfortunately for you, I think I did more damage to the ring then you inflicted on me."

Piccolo growled with determination. "Maybe so, but I have a lot more where that came from!"

"I hope so… Because you're going to need all of it!" 

This go around, Taro was the aggressor as he charged towards Piccolo. The Namek wisely would have none of this, and took to the air shocking most of the viewing audience. He avoided Taro's fist, and left him standing on the ring floor.

"Wow! This is amazing folks!" the MC gaped, as he stared up at the airborne fighter. "Piccolo has actually taken to the air, and is now floating! It looks as if those kids in the Jr. Tournament weren't the only flying aces in the arena tonight!"

Taro laughed at this. "Do you really think you can hide up there Piccolo?!"

"No, but it's buying me some time! Why don't you come up here and get me?!"

An evil grin spread across Taro's face, and she spoke low and maniacally. "If you insist."

Piccolo's eyes widened in horror, but his eyelids were all he'd have time to move. Taro came speeding towards him like a bullet, ramming his horned head hard into his gut. Piccolo folded over like an accordion, his mouth opened up wide screaming a silent scream. He felt something his stomach tare… Probably a muscle or something. The next thing he felt was Taro grabbing hold of his leg, and the momentum of his body as it was slammed back down into the ring. Piccolo grunted, and opened his eyes to the horrid sight of Taro raining down on him. Piccolo quickly rolled out of the way, and took back to the air while Taro's fist slammed into the section of ground Piccolo had just vacated. 

Taro took back to the air, and sped towards him again. This time Piccolo was ready, and moved out of the way. Taro stopped on a dime and spun around, but Piccolo was ready. He reared back his fist, and socked Taro in the kisser with everything he had. The monster was knocked backward, as the crowd below marveled at the mid-air fight. Piccolo powered up, and fired a rapid set of Ki blasts in Taro's direction. Taro grunted at the annoying little tickles, as he blocked each one. The first blast had hit him flush, and nearly knocked him out of the air. The rest were doing little but managing to drive him back… That's when Taro realized what Piccolo was doing. He was trying to guide him out of the ring with his Ki blasts. "Grr… You annoying little green elf! You're not stealing this match from me that easily!"

Taro reared back, and fired a Ki blast of his own towards Piccolo. The Namek managed to block it, but it still packed a tremendous punch. Enough to knock Piccolo out of the sky, and down to the ring at least. Piccolo groaned as he pushed himself up to his knees. He looked up and growled as he watched the demon known as Taro stalk towards him. His sinister smile was replaced by an angered scowl. "So, you want to try and make a fool out of me?! Well, I'm through playing around with you! You're finished little green man!"

"That's your problem horn face!" Piccolo panted within heavy breaths. "You're all talk, and no action!" 

Piccolo grunted as he shot up, aiming his fist for the big man's face. Taro caught his arm in mid-air, and smiled down at him. "So you want action huh? I won't disappoint you then."

Piccolo's eyes grew wide with fear, wondering what in the hell Taro had planned as he started to twist his arm around. Taro turned his back to the Namek, hung his arm over his shoulder… And promptly ripped his arm right out it's socket. Piccolo let out a sickening cry and fell to his knees, staring in shock at the bloody stump that used to attach his arm to the rest of his body. The majority of the crowd recoiled in horror at the sight, wondering just what in the hell this thing was and how he could be so brutal. One woman in the crowd fainted, two people vomited on the spot, and a few dozen warped and disturbed fans cheered Taro on.

"PICCOLO!" Gohan gasped, a horrified look plastered all over his face. Videl shoved her hand over her mouth, trying to fight back the urge to puke. Ryo looked just about the same as Gohan did, while Goku grimaced clinching his fists in anger. 

"Uh… My…" Piccolo stuttered, still staring at the bloody stump underneath his shoulder. 

"Looking for this?" Taro asked, shoving Piccolo's arm in front of his face. "Here, allow me to return it to you!"

Taro whacked Piccolo across the face with his own appendage, sending Piccolo down to the canvas. Piccolo rived around on the ring floor, while Taro repeatedly swung Piccolo's arm down at him as he rolled around.

"This is unprecedented folks!" the MC mumbled, after being stunned to silence for a short while. "I'm not trying to be funny at all, but I have to call the match the way I see it! It appears that Taro has ripped off Piccolo's arm, and is now literally beating him with it right in the center of the ring! I've heard fighters threaten to do this to their opponents before, but this is the first time I've actually seen somebody do it! "

"This is uncalled for!" Goku growled. "He should just win the damn match already! There was no need for him to go that far!"

"Humph! I don't see what you people are so worked up about," Vegeta snorted. 

Videl looked up at him like he had some sort of disease. "What the hell are you talking about?! That guy just ripped Piccolo's arm off! I'd say that's plenty to get worked up about! He's going to be crippled now for the rest of his life!"

Vegeta stuck his nose up to this. "You don't even know what you're talking about girl! The Namek is far from crippled, he can grow back his arm whenever he feels like it!"

"Huh?" Videl was about to inquire into this matter further, when Gohan guided her away from Vegeta. "Just ignore Vegeta Videl. But he is right, Piccolo will be just fine. He can regenerate any body part he wants along as his head isn't damaged."

"He can? Well, that's a relief…" Videl's face lit up with realization. "Hey, wait a second! What's a Namek?!"

Taro grew tired of beating on Piccolo soon enough, and tossed his limp arm outside of the ring. "Get yourself up you worthless green gnome!"

Piccolo trembled on the ground, but somehow managed to pull himself to his feet. Slowly, but he managed. He turned around slowly and saw Taro looking back at him, wearing a look on his face that told Piccolo everything would be over soon. And his face wasn't lying. Taro streaked forward, ramming his head hard into Piccolo's chest. The Namek could barely even manage a scream, as his body flew out of the ring and slammed hard into a spot in the wall just a mere few feet to the right of where Trunks had knocked Hercule into the wall earlier in the day. The wall cracked slightly, and Piccolo slid down to this butt. 

"Piccolo!" Both Gohan and Ryo cried out together. They flew over quickly to their old mentor, one boy landing on each side of him.

"Piccolo are you okay?" Gohan shook his head at his stupid question. "Well, obviously you're not, but are you any worse off then you look!"

"I'm fine boys," Piccolo smirked slightly, before wincing in pain. "Just help me up okay?…"

"No problem," Ryo said, helping Piccolo up with his right arm… The one that was still left.

"I've got one last lesson to share with you guys before your fights today," Piccolo groaned, as they started to walk back towards the entryway. "Did you guys see everything I did during that fight just now, especially at the end?"

"Yes?"

"Don't do any of that."

The MC watched as Ryo and Gohan helped Piccolo into the waiting room. "Well… Piccolo seems to be okay, despite being minus one limb, so I guess that makes Taro our winner!" 

The MC pointed at Taro somewhat reluctantly. Taro did seem to be a accomplished fighter… But strong fighter or not, he didn't like Taro's type involved with his tournament. He qualified fair and square, so it wasn't like he could just disqualify him or something for playing rough. Besides, as far as he knew there weren't any rules stating that you couldn't tare body parts off your opponents. He just wished there was a way to screen these guys before he allowed them in the ring. The crowd had a strange reaction when Taro was announced the winner. A few applauded instinctively, but mostly there was just hushed silenced. Of course there were those idiots again that were hooting and hollering, chanting Taro rules as he walked nonchalantly out of the ring. It looks as if Mr. Announcer will have to screen the fans before they enter the arena as well.

Taro strolled back to the entryway casually, ignoring the lingering stares from some of the other fighters. All of them but one anyway… Taro stopped, and turned his head to find a short man with spiky hair scowling at him. "And what are you looking at?"

"That's what I'm trying to figure out," Vegeta smirked. "You're definitely not from around here, but I don't know of any planets home to bull headed, hairy legged circus freaks right off the top of my head anyway!"

A small grin formed on Taro's face. "Why, such harsh words. If I actually cared what you thought, I might be offended. Now if you'll excuse me I only have a couple hours to savor my latest victory before my next match."

"Well, I think you need to spend less time savoring, and more time worrying about your next match because it's going to be against me! If you're expecting me to worry because of that little stunt you pulled with that green fool, then you're sadly mistaking! So, you can beat up on somebody whose weaker then you are? Big deal! We'll see just how tough you really are inside the ring!"

"Humph! Big words for a little man. I hope your fists are tough enough to back up your mouth. From what I understand you still have a first round match to fight yet, so there's no guarantee you'll even last to the second round!"

"I think I just did guarantee it!" Vegeta snorted. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have a fight to go win!"

Shin glared at Vegeta through the corner of his eye as he walked by him, an eerie grin plastered all over the Kai's face. So, he really expects to defeat me hey? Well I'd hate to disappoint him.

The MC gave Piccolo's friends time to help him back to the waiting room before calling out the next match. "Well folks, that was quite a way to kick of the 25th Tenkaichi Budokai wasn't it?! I certainly haven't seen anything like that in all my years hosting this… Well, on to the next match! Bout number two will feature two newcomers to the tournament. Introducing Vegeta and Shin!"

Vegeta didn't even bother to look at his opponent as they made their way down to the ring. Shin smirked, assuming Vegeta was assuming he already had this match in the bag. He wondered if Vegeta had good reasons to think that way, and if so how good were they?

"Make way, coming through!" Gohan said, as he and Ryo helped Piccolo into the waiting room. Goku, Videl, and Krillen all made way so they could bring the Namek inside. 

"Thanks guys, but I can take it from here! I lost an arm out there, not my legs you know!" The boys didn't have to think twice about questioning Piccolo's decision, and they let go of him. Piccolo staggered over to the wall, leaned his back up against it, and slumped down to the ground. 

"Are you alright Piccolo?" Goku asked worriedly. 

"I'll live…" Piccolo moaned. "That Taro is a demon of the worst kind… You all best be careful if you end up fighting him. You saw what he did to me."

"Yeah well, he'll most likely be fighting Vegeta next, so I don't think we'll have to worry about facing him," Goku told him.

"I wouldn't be so sure of that."

Goku looked confused. "Why not? You don't think Vegeta can beat that Taro guy?"

"That's hard to say…" Piccolo looked over at Goku, a serious look etched into his face. "I'm not sure he's going to get past Shin to get a chance to fight Taro! I just hope he takes my advice, and takes this match seriously. Knowing Vegeta however, that's probably too much to ask of him."

"You're really that worried about Shin huh?" Gohan inquired. "I guess there's got to be something to it then, if you're really that concerned over him. I wonder just who he is though?"

Piccolo didn't answer, just turned his head away so he was staring at the wall across the room. "I guess you'll figure it out when he's ready to tell us."

Goku's face reacted ever so slightly when he noticed something about Piccolo's demeanor. Like he was upset with himself over something, and Goku's wager was that it wasn't over the fight. Piccolo was definitely hiding something. Now all that was left for him to wonder was what?

"Man, Piccolo sure seems to be worked up over this guy doesn't he Ryo?" Gohan asked him. "You don't have any idea who he might be do you?"

Ryo turned his head, and blushed a bit. He despised lying, especially when he had to lie to a friend. It took him a few moments to come up with the right words, but much like Piccolo had done before him, he found a way to dance around telling an actual lie. "To tell you the truth Gohan, I don't think we should worry ourselves about it. Shin will reveal himself to us sooner or later, so why bother concerning ourselves with it?"

Gohan raised an eyebrow, and gave him a puzzled look. "What are you talking about Ryo?! Just a few minutes ago your were just as concerned with him as the rest of us were! What's with the sudden change of heart hey?"

"It's nothing Gohan… The second match should be starting any second now. I'm going to go check it out." Without waiting for a reply, Ryo walked off towards the entryway to look out at the ring. Gohan stood in place, and stared at him questioningly before following after him. His friend was definitely keeping something from him.

Vegeta and Shin stared each other down from across the ring for the better part of a minute. Vegeta scowled, growing horribly annoyed by that sickening smirk plastered all over the purple man's face. Why in the hell does he keep that ridiculous look on his face?! Just who are you Shin, and why do you have the little Namek all worried. Well… That green fool usually knows what he's talking about when it comes to things like this… I'll keep an eye open for you just in case Shin.

Vegeta wouldn't have thought it possible, but Shin's grin widened even more. "You might want to keep both eyes on me Vegeta. You'll find out who I am very shortly."

Vegeta's face recoiled in surprise. "You can read minds?!"

"Yes… Though in cases like yours, there are a few things I wish I hadn't if you know what I mean. I can also sense that you were looking forward to facing Taro in the second round… You'll need all the strength you can manage if you're going to fight him, so I think I'll make things easy for you this round."

"What are you…" Vegeta growled, when he realized what Shin was getting at. "Are you saying you're going to quit! That's absurd, I won't have it! I came here today to fight, not have my thoughts recited to me by some sort of purple… Whatever the hell you are! I have more then enough power in my left hand to annihilated both you and Taro!"

"Think what you will, but I'm sorry I have to disappoint you. I have no interest in fighting you Vegeta. I entered this tournament mostly for surveillance, and in hopes that I might get to fight with Goku. Now I'm afraid that my purpose here will already be complete before I have a chance to face him in the ring. It's too bad really, but that wasn't my main priority."

"What does Kakarott have anything to do with this! If you wish to fight someone, then it should be me! I'm twice the warrior that clown Kakarott is, so why settle for second when you can fight the best?!"

"Oh, spare me Vegeta," Shin said, accompanied by something that sounded dangerously close to a chuckle. "Yes, I'll admit you are strong, but I've seen your kind time and time again. Arrogant, self-centered, cold, uncaring, ruthless, and pompous, streaking across the universe screaming, look at me I'm the great Vegeta! Bow down at my feet, I'm the strongest man in the universe! Please! I've fought with countless warriors who were exactly the same as you, some stronger and some weaker. Fighters like you are a dime a dozen Vegeta. Now Goku, there's a remarkable warrior. Courageous, selfless, noble, and someone who gave his life to save this planet not to mention ensure your own survival Vegeta. Now there's a warrior you don't see everyday."

"What are they doing, they aren't fighting?!" Krillen complained, after Vegeta and Shin had gone a good minute or two without exchanging a blow. 

"Well, it looks like they're talking," Gohan observed. "And Vegeta doesn't look all that happy… Not that he ever does. I wonder what Shin's saying to him?"

"Well, considering whatever he said managed to piss Vegeta off… I guess just about anything then," Ryo laughed weakly. He was trying to be himself, but he was too fixated on watching the Kai, and wondering what he was up to. Gohan noticed this change in his demeanor almost right off the bat.

"You know something don't you Ryo?"

Ryo jumped slightly, and blushed. "What? Why do you ask that?"

"Answer my question first," Gohan said wearing a slight frown. "You've been dancing around any question I happen to ask you about Shin for the past few minutes. I know you know something Ryo, so how come you're not telling me?!"

Ryo turned his head away so he was looking almost straight into the wall. "I'm not going to lie to you Gohan.. .But I can't tell you right now. Shin said he'll reveal himself when the time is right. You'll just have to wait until then okay?"

"No, it's not okay! This guy could be a serious threat! If he is, then we need to know about it, so we can put a stop to him!"

"He's not a threat Gohan!" Ryo fired back, unappreciative of the tone in Gohan's voice. "Trust me, he's on our side… At least I think he is… Think about it, he probably has good reasons not to tell anybody who he is. Just be patient, and wait until he's ready! I'd really like to tell you, but I promised I wouldn't okay?! If it's not then all I have to say is go to Videl right now, and tell her exactly who you are! Then I'll tell you who Shin really is!"

Gohan blushed, and immediately eased up. He sagged his shoulders, and sighed. "Fine. I get your point, you win."

"Look… I'm sorry I can't tell you, but I'd lose respect for myself if I fail to keep my word. I'm sorry I raised my voice, but I thought we were over this trust thing…"

Gohan smiled slightly. "It's fine Ryo. I'm sorry I got mad, but I get defensive when my friends and family might be endanger. I don't play around in situations like that, and I don't expect others to do so either. I made that mistake once, and it cost my dad his life."

"I understand Gohan. Don't worry, when you find out who Shin is you'll see why I couldn't tell you anything. It's a dozy… Trust me on that one."

"Well, at least you're admitting you know now."

"Piccolo, are you sure you're okay?" Videl asked him. He seemed to be in some sort of trance at the moment. His eyes were closed, and his body began to convulse. Videl continued to talk to him, but the Namek kept on ignoring her. Frustrated, and a bit irritated Videl put her hand on Piccolo's shoulder, and tried to shake him. To her surprise he was hard as a rock, and wouldn't budge… Not one inch. "Piccolo, snap out of it!"  


"Don't talk or touch me! You'll break my concentration!"

Videl jumped back, surprised by Piccolo's sudden outburst. Besides his mouth, the rest of his body remained perfectly still. Piccolo began to shake more violently this time, as little grunts escaped his mouth. Finally, with one last shrill scream, a new limb came squirting out from Piccolo's shoulder, replacing the arm Taro had ripped off during the fight.

"Wow!" Videl marveled. "That was cool!"

"Now that you mention it, I guess it is," Piccolo smirked, as he examined his new appendage.

"How did you do that anyway?"

"I can regenerate any part of my body I lose just as long as my head is still intact. It's a special trait of my kind I guess you can say."

"Your kind huh," Videl began, never afraid to ask any question that might be on her mind. "So Piccolo… Can you tell me exactly what a Namek is?"

Piccolo gave the girl a bit of a look. "Are you sure you can handle it?"

  
"Piccolo, I've seen humans fly, watched my best friends shatter several different records on that damn punching machine, not to mention having to accept Gohan's father coming back from the dead, and on top of all that I just watched you grow back an arm out of thin air. I don't think there's a whole lot you can tell me right now that will surprise me!"

"You might be surprised at what I could say that might surprise you."

"Try me… Hold on a second, you're not going to give my any of that crap about having to wait for Gohan to tell me his story are you?"

Piccolo almost laughed at this. "Now why would I do that? My story has nothing to do with Gohan's, and I'm not concerned with keeping things secret like Gohan is."

Videl sighed with relief. "Good. I was getting really sick of hearing that."

"Hah! Hold it together kid, you'll know everything soon enough. Anyway, believe or not, but I come from a planet light years away from Earth called Namek. That's why my people are called Namek's. Let's just say that I came to Earth from there. The rest is a long story, and seeing as your match is next I might want to save it for later."

"So… You're an alien huh?" Videl interpreted. "I probably should've already guessed that huh?"

"Not necessarily," Piccolo replied. "I didn't even know I was an alien for quite some time. That fact doesn't bother you at all does it?"

"Well… Now that I think about it, I guess no. Hell, it's practically tame compared to everything else that's been going on around me lately."

"Kid, you better hold on tight, because you haven't heard anything yet," Piccolo told her, as his thoughts shifted to Gohan. If Videl could accept the fact that he was an alien… Maybe Gohan didn't have as much to worry about as he feared.

"Umm… Guys, you can start fighting any time now," the MC said to the two fighters in the ring, sensing that the crowd was getting restless. Either that, or they were booing and screaming to exercise their lungs.

"Sorry, but I don't think so," Shin said suddenly. "I'm afraid I must withdraw for this match. I concede victory to you Vegeta. Good luck with your next fight."

"You're not conceding anything! Get your purple ass back in here!" Shin ignored Vegeta's demands, and walked out of the ring. "Did you hear me Shin?! Coward!"

"Well… There you have it folks. Shin has withdrawn from the match, so that makes Vegeta our winner!"

"I never in my life!" Vegeta growled, and stormed out of the ring and back into the waiting area. He blew past the other Z-fighters, and only stopped to put his fist straight through the wall.

"Calm down for Kami's sake Vegeta!" Goku barked. "What's the big deal?! You won the damn match!"

"Shut up clown! What the hell do you know about anything anyway?!" Vegeta shouted, before turning his back to him. Damn that Shin! Kakarott's worth fighting, and I'm not?! Who the hell does that purple freak think he is anyway?! Damn that Kakarott! Why am I always in that clowns shadow?! I'm the Prince of the Sayians damn it!

"You're an antsy one aren't you?"

Vegeta shot his head up, and shot an angry look towards the party who'd said that. He realized he had wandered towards the back of the waiting room where Taro had been hiding ever since his fight with Piccolo concluded. "What did you say you overgrown piece of…"

"Calm down Vegeta before you give yourself a stroke!" Taro laughed at him. "You can look as mean as you want, you're not going to intimidate me. Besides, you got what you wanted, you get to fight me next."

"Oh, that's right isn't it?" Vegeta smirked. "I guess I'll just wait until then to wipe that ridiculous smirk off your face!"

"Well… What do you say we get things rolling fans, and get on with our third match?!" the MC asked to a crowd growing more restless by the second. "Videl vs. Spopovich!"

Videl smiled, sensing it was finally her time to step into that ring. Seven long years of training and high expectations were finally going to accumulate into something in a matter of mere seconds. 

"Good luck Videl," Gohan wished before she walked out onto the entryway. 

"Thanks."

  
"Same here, and try not to trip over your ego on the way to the ring okay?"

"Shut up Ryo," Videl chuckled before turning her head sideways so she was looking at Gohan. "Hey Gohan…"

"Umm… Yes Videl."

"I want to see you in the second round okay." she said, giving Gohan the thumbs up sign. All Gohan could do was blush, and shake his head yes.

Goku looked at his son through the corner of his eye, and then back to Videl smiling the entire time. "Don't get your hopes up Videl. He's a long way from the second round yet."

"We'll see about that dad."

Shin's head snapped around violently, as he passed Spopovich on his way back into the waiting room. There was definitely something off about him… And that 'M' on his head could only mean one thing. He and Yamu were the men he was looking for.

In the meantime, the MC was busy introducing the two new fighters as they walked to the ring. "I'm sure you know all about Videl. Ever since winning the Jr. Tournament seven years ago, Videl has helped our boys in blue catch villains all across the city! She's trained hard, and is now looking to step up to the next level. Spopovich is looking to avenge an early first round defeat in the last tournament. He's beefed up, and hoping to change his luck this year."

Videl strolled into the ring confidently, and stared down her opponent from across the ring. The fans cheered for their cities daughter, every last one of them expecting an easy win for Videl. Even Videl wasn't expecting much of a fight from a goof she watched her father beat in less then twenty seconds seven years ago. Little did she, the crowd, or fourteen of the sixteen fighters in the back know that they had no clue as to the horror they were about to witness.

End.

Well, that's all for now! We all pretty much knows what happened when Spopovich fought Videl, so I'm pretty much going to leave it as is. I'm not going to bothering reiterating on it, so chapter sixteen will most likely begin where that match leaves off. I'm trying to think up a good way to redo the hospital scene. I want to make it a little more personal for them I guess you could say, but of course that means I have to find a way to get rid of Hercule… Guess whose job that's going to be. He, he…

__

Chapter 16 preview! The big one is finally here, Gohan vs. Goku! While Goku may have had the clear cut advantage before, now that is son is pissed off after watching Spopovich pound Videl into the ground, Goku might have ground to start worrying. In the meantime Ryo and Piccolo decide to do a little extra spying on Yamu after seeing what Spopovich could do in the ring, faced with the fact that these two might be a legitimate threat. As for the rest of the fighters, they have the unenviable task of keeping Vegeta and Taro from ripping each other apart back stage! Bragging rights in the Son family are on the line next! Man, I'm loving this…


	16. Chapter 16

-Howdy folks! Sorry it's been a while, but I've had a hectic last couple of weekends to deal with. On top of that, this is going to be a long one. I just want to note on one thing, namely the chapter previews I give at the end of the chapters. Those are just possible run downs of what the next chapter might hold, and things might change once I begin writing. I mention that because this is the first instance where that has happened. Don't worry, Goku and Gohan are still going to duke it out, but I did cut out a couple of the little things I mentioned in the last preview. This chapter ran very long, and I came up with some better ideas. Well, I'll shut up for, and on with the story!

Chapter Sixteen

It was a massacre. No, massacre wasn't a strong enough word for it. Whatever term you want to use, it all summed up the same thing. Videl didn't know what hit her… Well, she knew who hit her, but she never would've expected that he'd come with so much force. This abnormally strong freak of nature named Spopovich couldn't have been human, or at least if he used to be then he wasn't now. The match unfolded like some sick card game where she could only seem to draw jokers or deuces. Videl even looked to be in control during the early stages of the match, literally kicking the stuffing out of the big brute. At least that was the way it seemed at the time. Little did she know that her opponent was merely toying with her. Soon came his offensive, and it was like nothing her body had ever been through before. He wasn't even satisfied with merely beating her… He wanted to torture her. He pounded on her skin until it was black, blue, and red. Crushed down on her bones until they were weathered and broken… She had no way of knowing how many of them he broke, but entire sections of her body felt numb. There came a point in the match when the only conscious thing her body could do was stand up… The stupidest thing she could've done, and the last thing she should do, but she was a Satan… No, scratch that. She was Videl, and she wasn't going to give in to anyone. So, Spopovich continued to pound on her, until the last muscle in her body refused to move. Gohan, who'd been forced to stand back and watch the entire travesty, was seeing red. The other fighters were seeing yellow at the moment, more accurately speaking, Gohan's hair as he began to shift in between his Super Sayian and regular form. The situation grew so tense that Gohan finally lost control of his emotions, and charged out towards the ring. Luckily for Spopovich, Yamu picked that time to talk some sense into the big man, and convinced him to go ahead and end the match. With a simple push of his foot, Spopovich rolled Videl out of the ring and the match was over. Gohan picked up Videl's limp carcass, and told the Tenkaichi officials he'd take care of Videl himself. Before turning back to take Videl to the medical office, he turned towards Spopovich to give him one final warning.

"Spopovich! I can see that you're real proud of yourself! Well don't get too comfortable, because you're going to have to fight me next! I'm going to show you what it really means to be tortured your sick muscle-bound freak!"

Spopovich said nothing in response. He just smiled as if to say he was looking forward to it. Gohan didn't waste any more time with him, and headed back to the waiting room. Ryo wasn't about to wait for Gohan to come to him as he shot out of the waiting room, and met them halfway. 

  
"Holy shit…" Ryo mouthed, as he looked down at Videl. She was limp as a soggy piece of cardboard, and looked in about as good of shape. She wasn't moving an inch except for her chest moving up and down slowly, at least showing signs that she was still breathing. Ryo growled, and glared Yamu and Spopovich's way. 

"Calm down Ryo," Gohan said, barely managing to do the same thing himself. "I know what you're thinking. If I can control myself I know you can too. Don't worry about it. You have Yamu later this round, and whether it's me or my father Spopovich is toast. For now let's be patient and wait until then."

Ryo smirked at this. "Yeah, and this coming from someone who just barreled out here like a bat out of hell ready to take somebody's head off!"

Gohan smirked back. "Yeah, but it was a mistake. I have to learn not to charge in without thinking like that. I guess that's just the Sayian side of me. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to get her to the infirmary."

"Of course, don't let me stop you."

Gohan didn't say anything else as he cut his way through the waiting room, and rushed towards the infirmary. Goku looked wary as his son blurred passed him. Oh no, this isn't good. I hope the girl's okay for her sake, and Gohan's… Not to mention mine. I've seen first hand what he can do when he gets mad!

"Excuse me guys, but I think I'm going to step out a minute and get some senzu beans from Korrin," Goku announced suddenly. "Gohan's going to be mad enough as it is, and I'd hate to climb into that ring with him if something happens to her. Kami knows what Gohan is liable to do in that state."

"Hey, great idea Goku!" Krillen said. "Damn, I wish we would've thought to have brought some with us in the first place! I didn't think we'd need them though, I mean it would be an unfair advantage to use them."

"I hear you Krillen, but the situation has changed. I'll be right back!" Goku put two fingers up to his forehead, and in a flash he was gone.

A few minutes later, Gohan reappeared in the waiting room. Ryo and Krillen immediately rushed him anxious to hear any news as to what might be going on. "Hey Gohan! How is she?"

"I got her to the doctor's office… It's up to them to take care of her now I guess… I wanted to stay, but Hercule ran me out. I have a match I needed to get to anyway."

"Well, that match might have to wait a while, because Goku just left to get some senzu beans for Videl," Krillen informed him. 

"Yes, but there is a problem," Piccolo added. "They've called you guys out to the ring twice already, and they're threatening to throw the match out. You might want to get out there before you both wind up forfeiting the match."

"Oh crap! Why does everyone have to be so impatient?! Alright, I'll go talk to him," Gohan whined slightly, before running out of the waiting room and out to the ring. The MC was already in the ring waiting for them, and sighed in relief when he saw Gohan running up to him. 

"There you are! I thought you'd guys would never come out! Hey, where's your dad anyway?"

"I'm sorry to do this, but could you postpone the match for just a little while?" Gohan said into his ear so he could hear him over the booing of the crowd. "You see, my dad left to get some medicine for Videl that will help her out, and I really want to make sure she gets it."

The MC didn't have to think about the matter long at all. "If it's for Videl kid, then you take all the time you need."

"Thanks sir, we'll make it as quick as we can. I promise," Gohan said with a smile, before running back towards the waiting area.

"Your attention please crowd! The next match has been postponed indefinitely! Apparently there is a medical emergency in the back that has required the assistance of several of the Tenkaichi participants including the two fighters involved in the next match, and we can't very well disqualify them for that! Please use this brief intermission to use the bathroom, or get yourselves some goodies from the snack back if you so…" The MC paused as a cardboard cup filled with somebody's Coke splattered all over his face. "As I can see, some of you need it…"

"So, are they going to wait?" Piccolo asked Gohan, as he entered the waiting room.

"Yeah, he told me we can take as much time as we need," Gohan replied sadly. "I just hope we don't have to wait long… Hang in there Videl."

"Hey, give her some credit Gohan," Ryo told him. "She's a tough girl, she'll hang on as long as she can."

"I know… But she's human Ryo… And in really bad shape… Hurry back soon dad…"

As if on cue, Goku materialized in the room. Gohan turned to his father excitedly, but immediately noticed the serious look on his father's face. "Dad? Is something wrong?"

"I've got good news, and bad news…" Goku began solemnly. "The bad news is that Korrin was fresh out of senzu beans… The good news is that he has a friend who grows senzu beans regularly too. The rest of the bad news is that Korrin's friend lives in Siberia, and since I don't know anybody who lives in Siberia to transport myself there, I'm going to have to fly all the way there."

"How long do you think that will take?" Gohan asked worriedly.

"I don't know… But I'll get there, and back as fast as I can. I promise."

"Wait a second, what about your match?" Krillen asked. "I know the announcer agreed to postpone the match, but I doubt he's going to wait very long. If you're not careful, you're both going to wind up getting disqualified!"

"I know, but there's more important things to worry about other then fighting right now Krillen," Goku said flatly. There was a life at stake here after all, not to mention she was Gohan's… Something or other. "Anyway, I'm not going to waste anymore time. I'll warp to the closet point to where I'm going that I know of, and fly the rest of the way from there. I'll be back as soon as I can." Goku put two fingers on his forehead, and was gone once again. 

"I just hope Videl can last until then…" Gohan stared off into nothing. "I wish I could go see her…"

"Then why don't you?" Piccolo asked him.

"Because there are reporters crawling around everywhere! Even if I manage to get through them, I still have to deal with Hercule once I get inside. I know he's a complete goof, but even he wouldn't leave his daughter's side when she's in that condition. Not without a good reason anyway…"

Ryo placed his hand underneath his chin, looking thoughtful. "I think I might have an idea that might get Hercule and the reporters out of your way Gohan. Leave that to me, and hang tight. Hey Krillen, come with me! I could use your help!"

"Sure thing kid."

"Huh? What do you mean?! What are you going to do Ryo?!" Gohan called after him, but Ryo was already well on his way with Krillen close behind gun. Krillen turned back and waved, leaving Gohan to ponder just what was going on.

Piccolo smirked. "Don't bother Gohan. It's best not to even ask with him."

----------

"Medical emergency? I wonder what's going on down there," Bulma said to anyone who'd listen.

"I don't know, but if it's Videl I hope she's okay!" Chichi said nervously. "This figures! Gohan finally finds a girl that would make a perfect wife for him, and some overgrown lummox has to come along and do that to her! I hope my poor baby's okay. He must be going crazy down there!"

"Hey guys, how you doing?" Krillen asked, as he approached them.

"Hey Krillen," Roshi greeted. "We're glad you came. Maybe you can fill us in on what's going on down there."

"Oh that. Well, Videl got it pretty bad in that last fight, and Goku ran off to try and get her some senzu beans. That's what's holding the next up anyway. Right now, we're trying to find a way to get Gohan in to see Videl. That's why I'm here." Krillen looked down towards the two youngsters who were busing tossing popcorn at each other. "Hey Trunks, Goten! How would you guys like to give me a hand?"

"Sure!" Goten chirped happily. 

Trunks looked indifferent just like his old man. "Ah, why not. It's better then sitting here, and staring at an empty ring! Let's go!"

----------

"Ryo, what in the world are we doing?" Krillen asked, looking down at the big blue box he was holding in his hands. It had holes punched in on all sides. He held it tightly to keep it steady, as it shook a tiny bit.

"You'll see," Ryo grinned fiendishly. "How's it coming kids?!"

"We almost have two full boxes!" Trunks announced.

"I've got you!" Goten chirped excitedly, as he leapt at a small fuzzy creature darting across the grass. The little boy groaned dejectedly as the little squirrel squirted out of his hands. "Hey, come back here!"

"Don't let it get away Goten!" Trunks ordered, as he flew off after the tiny woodland creature. Goten went after it on foot. The squirrel gave the two Demi-Sayians quite the runaround before he outwitted the two overanxious boys, as their heads came crashing together. Both boys fell down on their butts, and rubbed their heads. "Hey! Watch where you're going Trunks!"

"No, you watch where you're going Goten!"

"No, you watch where you're going!"

"Shut up Goten, it's getting away!" Trunks yelled out, as he watched their quarry try to escape up a tall tree.

"He's not getting away that easy!"

Krillen raised an eyebrow at the two boys, and then looked back towards Ryo. "I ask you again Ryo, what the hell are we doing?! We're supposed to be figuring out a way to lure Hercule and the reporters away the infirmary so Gohan can see Videl right? So… How in the world is the five of us running around out here chasing down two dozen squirrels going to accomplish that?!"  


"You'll see… Trust me Krillen, everything will work out fine."

"If you say so," Krillen guessed.

"We got him, we got him!" Goten cheered triumphantly, as he and Trunks ran over to Ryo with their boxes in hand. 

"Great, that's all twenty-four then! Let's get going!"

"So… Where are we headed with these things?" Krillen asked him.

"Hercule's private dressing room," Ryo said in a snooty voice.

"Hercule's dressing room? What in the world are we…" A little bulb flashed in Krillen's head. "Oh, I get it now! Ryo, you have a sick mind. I love it!"

----------

"Damn, I'm never going to get through all of those reporters," Gohan whined as he hid behind the far wall of the infirmary away from the prying eyes of the reporters. "What's keeping Ryo anyway? He said he had a way to lure everyone away from here so I could get inside to see Videl."

No sooner then he said that did he see Ryo frantically pushing his way through the amassed crowd. Ryo finally managed to swim his way through the maze of reporters, and slammed the door behind him before they could sneak inside.

"Hey! What are you doing in here kid?!" Hercule seethed at this apparent invasion of his daughter's privacy. "Get your scrawny butt out of here now before I throw you out!"

"I'm sorry to bother you Hercule sir, but it's an emergency! You need to come quick, your dressing room's been invaded!"

"Invaded?! What the heck are you talking about kid?! Have you been drinking or something?" Hercule finished his statement slyly. "And if so… Do you got any left for the champ by any chance?"

"No, I haven't been drinking!" Ryo scowled. "Look, you have to see it for yourself! Little thieves have just broken into your dressing room! Last time I checked they were trying to break into your underwear drawer!"

"Thieves?! In my dressing room?! Why didn't you say so kid?!…" Hercule leaned over, and kissed his daughter on the forehead. "You hang tight sweat pea. Daddy has to go take care of this minor problem, and I'll be right back I promise."

Somewhere in Ryo's imagination he heard Videl groan. "Oh great, now he's threatening her."

"What was that kid? Oh never mind, now where are we going?"

"Your dressing room remember?"

"Oh yeah, that's right! Now out of my way kid!" Hercule shoved Ryo out of his way, and headed out the door. Before disappearing down the hall, Hercule stepped back into the doorway and took a good long look at Ryo. "Hold on a second… Haven't I seen you somewhere before kid?"

Ryo nearly fell over. He checked his clothes, and he was still wearing the same purple Gi he had been all day. "You don't remember me?! You know, from this morning?! It was less then four hours ago!"

Hercule scratched under his chin thoughtfully. You could almost hear the little hamster running laps in the wheel inside of his head. "Hey! I remember you now! You were the bellboy that brought breakfast this morning weren't you?! This is perfect timing because I need you to send a message to your cook! I ordered my eggs sunny side down, and that bacon was hard as a rock! I like mine soft and chewy, not burnt to a crisp!"

Ryo sweat dropped. "Um… I'll be sure to do that… Remember, your room!"

"Oh right! I better get going!" 

"Idiot," Ryo mumbled, after finally getting the goof out of the room. 

"Out of the way guys, World Champion coming through!" Hercule roared, as the reporters parted way for him.

"Hercule sir, where are you going?!" one of the reporters asked him as he ran by. "What about your daughters condition?"

"She needs bed rest right now! At the moment, I have a small crisis on my hands! Apparently someone's broken into my dressing room!"

"Did you hear that?!" one of the reporters asked, practically drooling. "Someone's broken into Hercule's dressing room! What a scoop, let's go!" 

Like a flock of buzzards smelling the blood of a dying animal, the reporters and cameramen took off after Hercule. Gohan cheered silently, seeing his chance to finally get into Videl's room without being harassed. Gohan didn't waste a breath either, as he was through the door in less then two seconds, closing it behind him with little more then the gust of wind left in his wake.

"What took you so long?" Ryo smirked.

"Shut up. How is she?" Gohan's heart fell into his stomach when he saw her. "Oh yeah… Damn, she doesn't look any better then she did a few minutes ago… She's kind of still now though, at least she was moving around when I brought her in here… She even talked to me a little before Hercule made me leave…"

"She's either sleeping or unconscious at the moment," Ryo deduced, as he got his first good look at her. He'd been a little reluctant to walk right up to her bedside and examine her, but now with Gohan there he felt a tiny bit braver. "Either way, she's out of it right now… That bastard really roughed her up good… But I wouldn't worry, she's a tough girl… I know that fact isn't going to make it any easier for you, but your dad should be back with those senzu beans soon enough."

"Yeah…" Gohan growled, and clenched his fists. "Damn that Spopovich! He's not going to get away with this… If anything happens to her… I don't care what the rules say, he's a dead man!"

"So, I guess that means you plan on beating your father am I right?" Ryo said, as a way to remind Gohan of what he still had standing in front of him.

Gohan frowned shortly as he remembered that tiny little fact, but then smiled. "I guess that slipped my mind. Still, win or lose it doesn't really mater. Either way Spopovich is still a goner."

"You have a point…" Ryo sighed, as he looked back down at Videl. She just didn't look like Videl lying across that bed. Broken, weak, helpless… Three adjectives he never would've used to describe Videl until now… He laughed softly as he thought about Videl tarring into them once she healed up for worrying about her, and not having faith that she'd pull through okay. He'd gladly take another berating from her right now, and he hoped it would be soon. There was a part of him that was deafly worried, much like Gohan was. He'd experienced watching people close to him die before, and it was the absolute worst feeling in the world. One he didn't want to go through again. Sure there where the dragon balls to fall back on, but that doesn't ease the pain of having to watch somebody die on you. Ryo smiled, and touched Videl lightly on the cheek. "Hang in there girl. I know you'll be okay. Hell, if the Grim Reaper gets anywhere near you, you'd probably just kick his teeth in, so I don't know what I'm worrying about."

Gohan giggled softly, as Ryo stood back upright. "Well, I think I'll be headed out now. I want to go check on my handy work. Besides, I'm sure you'd like to have some time with Videl alone Gohan." Ryo looked over towards Videl. "I'll see you soon, hopefully when you're in much better condition then you are now. Hope it's soon. Good-bye guys…"

"Bye Ryo…" Gohan said softly, as Ryo closed the door behind him. 

"Okay now, what's going on in here?!" Hercule roared, as he threw open the door to his dressing room. His eyes widened at what he saw… Namely, a small army of squirrels tarring his room upside down. "What the hell?! My room is infested with rodents! What are you squirrels doing in here?! Don't you know this is the World Champ's room?! Get out right now!"

Of course the squirrels ignored the large loud primate, and continued to romp about his room. Hercule's attention shifted to a small fuzzy rodent that was streaking between his legs, dragging one of Hercule's socks in his mouth. "Hey, that's mine! Give it back!"  


Hercule looked up, and his eyes widened in horror when he saw one of the squirrels standing on his championship belt that was laid across his bed. More accurately speaking, the little booger was squatting over it. Before Hercule could rush over to it, or even scream, the squirrel promptly relieved himself on the belt with a steady stream of fluid spilling over onto the beds sheets. 

"AHH! I'LL SKIN YOU ALIVE YOU LITTLE BASTARD!" Hercule leapt onto to the bed promptly shattering the wood frame into splinters, and sending several rodents scattering. "PISS ON MY CHAMPIONSHIP WILL YOU?!"

  
Meanwhile, on the outside of the champs room Krillen, Goten, and Trunks were all rolling on the ground laughing as they listened to the commotion from outside. Ryo walked up behind them and smiled assuming his little plan must've been in full swing. Before he even had time to ask them what was going on, his eyes shifted towards his left at the mass of the reporters gathered around Hercule's door. One of the female news anchors looked as if she was ready to start broadcasting live.

"This is Saizo Miyako Sanadna Shimazu-Chen reporting to you live from the Tenkaichi Budokai. While the fighting has been temporarily postponed due to a serious injury suffered by the daughter of the World Champion himself, there seems to be some sort of commotion going on in Hercule's private dressing room. It appears that somehow a small pack of squirrels have broken into the champ's room, and are currently wreaking havoc inside. How this is news I don't know, but well it's a lot more interesting then shooting pictures of children picking their noses in the crowd… Just what the hell is going on in there anyway?… Oh shit, I'm still on the air!"

"Not for long apparently," Ryo snickered, sensing a pink slip in her near future.

"Hey kid, what's going on?" Piccolo asked, as he walked up next to Ryo. He noted how Krillen and the kids were laying on the ground while holding their guts.

"Nothing much… Just causing trouble."

"Nothing new huh?" Piccolo huffed. 

"What are you doing in here anyway?" Ryo asked. He looked up at his mentor noticing he had once again dawned his usual weighted clothing. "I figured you'd be back in the waiting room meditating, or spying on Shin or Yamu or something."

"I'll get back to that shortly. It kept nagging at me when Gohan informed me that you were going to take care of getting Hercule out of the way, so he could go see Videl. I decided I had to come see this for myself. I always seem to get this nagging burning feeling whenever you have a plan for anything…" Piccolo paused, as he watched a pair of squirrels dart out of Hercule's dressing room. "As I can see, the feeling was founded."

Everyone in the hallway went silent as Hercule came bursting out of his dressing room, screaming his afro off. "Help, help! It's got me! One of them is lose in my pants!"

"Oh no!" the female reporter gasped. "In an interesting turn of events it seems that one of the little critters is running loose in Hercule's shorts, and is currently biting him on the rear end."

"It's not my butt it has me by lady!" Hercule winced, with tears running down his yes, and proceeded to run down the hall trying desperately to jar the little scamp lose. "Why won't it let go?!"

Krillen sat up, and stared down the hallway Hercule took off down. He bit his lip trying everything he could to keep his mouth shut. As a mental image formed in his head he just couldn't hold it back anymore, and fell to the floor in a hysterical fit, his face turning all different shades of red as he rived around on the ground.

Piccolo and Ryo sweat dropped, Ryo's face sporting a slight grin. "Well, what can I say? Squirrels do horde nuts."

"Yeah, and that one just got himself an entire sack full!" Krillen bellowed from the floor.

Piccolo grunted disgustedly. "It's times like this I'm glad I'm not human, and I don't have to worry about things like this."

Gohan took in a deep breath, and somehow forced his feet to take enough steps so that he was standing right by Videl's bedside. He got down on his knees, and took her left hand holding it in both of his. He sat there silently for a while, and just listened to her breath thankful that she still was. He brushed back some of her hair out of her face, and fought back tears every time she'd groan or roll around on the bed in agony. Every time he watched her do this, a little projector in his mind would show a scene of Spopovich rolling around on the ring floor in a similar manner with Gohan standing over him.

"Videl… You had to be such a stubborn girl didn't you? The harder Spopovich knocked you to the ground, the more determined you'd be to get right back up. Can't say that I blame you, hell it's one of the things I love about you… I just wish you had enough sense to know when to quit… Then you wouldn't be where you are right now…" 

Gohan chocked on a hollow breath, then continued. "I have something I want to say to you, so I better make it quick before your father or the doctors come back. Speaking of doctors, where the hell is he?! I guess it doesn't matter… I know you can't hear me right now, but I need to say this anyway… I know it tars you up inside in not knowing what's going on around here and all… I really want to tell you, and I promise I will after the Tenkaichi is done and over with… I really wish it was as simple as I make it sound… There are so many things that I have no idea how I'm going to explain them to you…"

Gohan sighed, and steadied his voice. She was out cold after all, so what was he so nervous about to begin with? "Like, for example, how I'm going to tell you I'm part alien… That should go over really well with your father… It's not like he doesn't disapprove of me enough as it is! I certainly don't know how I'm going to tell you about Cell… I know how proud you are to be a Satan, and how much you look up to your father for what you think he accomplished. I hate the thought of taking that away from you, even if it is the truth. I wouldn't want to go through the rest of my life thinking everything I've ever done, or my family built its reputation around was all based on a lie… I don't know why I've never told you any of this, with the exception of the Cell thing…"

Gohan snickered, as his lips curved up slightly. "I guess I was afraid you'd hate me once you found out the truth about me… You became so important to me along the way that the thought of losing you was unbearable. I knew I'd have to tell you one day, but the closer you got the longer I put it off. This might just be the last day of our lives I can call you my friend, so I'm sorry if I've hung around you a little too much for your liking today. I know you well enough to know that in most normal situations you're a big enough person to look past things, but this is by no means a normal situation… Ha! Isn't this funny?! Here I am telling you things I've been wanting to say to your face for months, and the only time I'm brave enough is when you're unconscious…"

Gohan sighed again, and gently rubbed the back of Videl's hand across his face. "There's one thing I want to tell you though that even makes the Cell thing seem tame in my eyes. Remember yesterday on that Ferris wheel when I told you I wasn't sure how I felt yet, and asked you to wait a little longer on a response… Well, I'm sorry, but I lied to you again. I've known exactly what I've been feeling for a long time now, even if I have been reluctant to admit it to even myself. When I said I wasn't ready, I meant I wasn't ready to have you shoot me down if I was picking up the wrong signs from you. Ah hell, here I am again dancing around the subject again… It's plain and simple… I love you Videl, and I hope I'll be able to tell you that to your face while you're awake one of these days. You don't have to love me back, but I only hope that this doesn't ruin our relationship all together. I just want a part of your life to be involved with mine even if we're always nothing more then friends… Well, I better go now. Dad should be getting back with those senzu beans any minute now, and we'll have you back on your feet in no time. Just hang in there until then okay?"

Gohan bent over, and kissed her softly on the cheek. "You are one in a billion girl... And I do love you… Whatever that means for you I don't know, I just hope it's something…"

Gohan let go of her hand, and slowly walked over to the door. He took one last look at Videl before opening the door, and reluctantly exited through it. There were two things Gohan failed to notice at that emotional climax for the boy however. One of those things was how Videl's breath went shallow when he kissed her, and how her eyes slowly fluttered open after he closed the door behind him. "Gohan?…"

"Okay, that was good practice, so what do you want to bet I cave when it comes time to actually tell her," Gohan muttered, as he leaned back against the wall. He was just about to take off down the hall to find Ryo, when a distressed Hercule came thundering his way, nearly knocking the Demi-Sayian down as he flew by.

  
"Get it off me, get if off me, get it off me!" Hercule whined, as he disappeared down the hallway.

Gohan sweat dropped as he stared after him. "What the hell?"  


"Don't mind him, he's just having a slight rodent problem," Ryo giggled, as she walked up behind Gohan.

"Rodent problem?"

"Yeah, I kept him busy by setting some squirrels loose in his dressing room. Let's just say they kind of have him by the balls at the moment."

Gohan gave him a funny look, but before he could inquire as to what he meant, both boy's heads jerked around violently as they sensed a large Ki headed their way. It didn't take long for either to realize who was approaching.

"Hey dad," Gohan said, as his father materialized next to him. Both boy's eyes widened slightly, as they watched Goku shake some snow off of his body. 

"Man! Who would've thought Siberia would be that cold, even this time of year?!"

"Siberia?" Gohan asked before remembering more important matters. "Oh right! Did you get the senzu beans?"

"Sure did," Goku said, as he pulled the bag out of his belt. "You'll never guess who I ran into out there either. Tein believe it or not. It turns out that he goes to Korrin's friend Quincy like we go to him if we're ever in need of something like this."

"Alright! Thanks dad," Gohan said cheerfully, as he took the bag from his father's hand. "Let's not waste anymore time then!"

"There's only four so remember that... If anything else happens while we're here, that's all we have for backup right now.

"Hey, what are you three doing!" Hercule growled as he approached them, the Tenkaichi physician following close behind him. "That's my daughters room, you guys get away from there!"

"Sorry, but we've got some business to take care of," Gohan said, as they disobeyed Hercule's orders and went inside.

"Hey, didn't you hear me?! Get out of there!" Hercule roared, as he walked… No, waddled over to the door. "Damn that fuzzy little rat!"

Gohan sprinted inside Videl's room, with his father and Ryo following close behind him. They kept their distance staying close to the far wall so to give Gohan some space. Sensing his approach, Videl forced her eyelids open, and smiled up at him. "Gohan… You came back?…"

"Of course I did," Gohan chuckled. "I'm glad to see you're awake."

"Yeah… Look, I have something to tell you…"

"Don't talk, you still don't have enough strength back yet. Don't worry about that though, because I have something for you that's going to fix you right up!"

"But Gohan it's important…" Gohan placed a finger on her lips to keep her quite, and told her to hush. Videl's eyes widened as much as they could, and she would've frowned if she had the strength to do so. Moving all those muscles was just too much strain at the moment.

"You can tell me later… Right now I want you to take this," Gohan told her, as he held out a small bean in his hand. "This is called a senzu bean, and it'll make you feel better."

"Oh no you don't! You're not giving her any bean!" Hercule growled, as he burst into the room like a wounded gazelle. "Get away from my daughter you skinny brat!"

"Don't talk to him that way dad!" Videl coughed. "Gohan wouldn't do anything to hurt me… And I trust him. If he says it will help me then I believe him…"

  
"But Videl!…" Hercule looked towards the doctor for support. "Come on, tell her doc! Help me out here!"

"What do you want me to do? You're the World Champion, put him in a wrist lock or something!"

Hercule continued to argue, but it was already to late. Gohan had already plopped the bean into her mouth, and she began to chew. "No Videl! Spit it out!"

"Well, I guess there's nothing left for me to do here," Gohan said, as he walked away from Videl's bedside. "You should be up and about any minute now. Let's go dad. We've got a match to get to."

"Right," Goku nodded his head with a smile. "I think we've kept the people in suspense long enough."

With that father and son left the room. Ryo took one last moment to chuckle at Hercule before following after them. "You might want to check on the champ next doc. He's walking a bit bull-legged there."

"I am not!" Hercule growled, as the boy fled the room. "Smart aleck punk!… I could've sworn I've seen that kid somewhere before… I don't know, I guess it's not important."

Hercule and the doctor stared down at Videl, as she finished chewing the bean and swallowed. Hercule gasped, muttering something about the bean being poisoned. They waited all of about three seconds before Videl's eye's came shooting open. She sat up and looked at her hands and down her body, feeling no traces of any sort of pain, bruises, or broken bones anywhere. Finding this more then satisfying, Videl stood up on her bed, and pumped her fist in excitement while her father and doctor looked on in absolute shock as Videl apparently sprung up from the dead.

"Yeah! I'm all better now!… Oh, that's right! Gohan's match is next, I have to get out there!"

Hercule's jaw dropped unable to produce any words until Videl hopped off of her bed, and headed for the door. "Videl, where are you going?! Get back in bed!"

"Sorry dad, but I have things to do!" Videl gave her father a wave from outside the room. "Don't worry about me, I feel better then I did before I got in the ring. See you later dad!"

"But… But… What the hell?!"

Ladies and gentlemen, I'm proud to announce that the Tenkaichi Budokai is ready to continue!" the MC announced to an overly anxious crowd. "So if you may, would you please now refrain from using the items at the snack bar as ammunition. Okay, without any further delay let's get this thing moving! Our next bout features Gohan vs. Goku!"

The two Son men nodded towards each other to single they were ready, and stepped out onto the walkway to the cheers of the crowd. "For those of you diehard Tenkaichi followers, I doubt I have to tell you who Son Goku is. This man is a former Tenkaichi champion, and even made it all the way to the finals twice before he celebrated his eighteenth birthday! As for Gohan, well this is the first ever tournament appearance for this young man, but there is a catch. Gohan just happens to be Goku's eldest son! That's right fans, for the first time in Tenkaichi history we kick off a first round match featuring father vs. son!"

"Wow! That's Gohan's father?!" Erasa cooed from the stands. "I wonder how it must feel like to have to fight your own dad."

"Yeah, I'm wondering that too," Sharpner agreed. "Especially since he told us his father was dead!"

All the Z-fighters gathered around the entryway to peer outside at the fight. Krillen and Ryo pushed themselves to the forefront, neither one, Krillen in particular, trying to contain their excitement. Ryo with that youthful exuberance you find in most teenagers, and a childlike quality in the older man that went way beyond his years. Piccolo was much more in control as always, but he himself was looking forward to this as much as anyone. Eighteen watched on in a similar manner oddly compelled by this scenario just as everyone else was. Of course, if you asked her she would've told you she was merely watching because whoever won would most likely be facing her in the finals… Even Vegeta smirked slightly as the two entered the ring. A part of him wanted to see his rival and fellow full-blooded Sayian show his brat why he shouldn't of slacked off for seven years, and the other half would've loved nothing more then to see Gohan rub that clown's face into the dirt. Either way, this fight should prove amusing…

But possibly the most interested of all present in this fight may have been Shin and Kabito. They stared out at Goku and Gohan with vivid interest for whatever reason it was only known to them. Piccolo noticed how their eyes were firmly locked on the ring. Maybe they had something to do with why the Supreme Kai was here?

"Miss Videl, what on Earth are you doing?" James asked her, noticing how Videl was frantically patting down on her clothes. She had obviously gotten herself dressed rather quickly. She was wearing nothing but a pair of shorts, and a white T-shirt with the word 'fight' written across it.

"I needed a change of clothes," Videl huffed. "The set I was wearing had gotten torn and ripped during my match with Spopovich."

"Well obviously, but what's the big rush?"

"Gohan's match is going to start any second, and I don't want to miss it!" Videl announced with a cheery smile.

James laughed at this. "My word girl, what has gotten into you?"

"Nothing expect for that bean Gohan gave me. I thought I explained that already. Don't worry I feel fine now."

"No, it's not that Videl! I mean, look at yourself in the mirror! You're practically glowing! I haven't seen you this pleasant in all the years I've known you, and that's basically every single last one of them!"

Videl blushed, but that smile never left her face. "It's nothing… I'm just in a good mood that's all."

"Good mood?" James laughed. "How could you possibly be in a good mood?! You were just beaten within an inch of your life! Why do I have the feeling that something more is going on here? For heaven's sake Videl, I've known you since you were biting your father's ankles! You can trust me, who am I going to tell anyway?"

"I really don't want to discuss it James… I'm afraid I'd sound like a ditzy school girl or something, you know how I hate that!"

"Posh Videl, there's nothing ditzy about you! Why do I suddenly sense I know where this is headed? Don't be afraid to say it Videl, I'm the only one here."

Videl thought it over for a moment. It was true that she was a little embarrassed about letting something like this out in the open, but it would make her feel better if she told somebody. She wanted to tell Gohan, or at least reply to him, but he wouldn't allow her to. James was probably the next best thing. Besides, everyone was going to know about it sooner or later. So, she just straightened out her shirt, smiled, and took one last look at James before running out the door. "He said he loves me."

----------

"You ready son?" Goku asked, as he stared at Gohan from across the ring.

"Ready as I'll ever be dad."

"Good, you better be." Goku smiled confidently. "Don't expect me to take it easy on you just because you're my son. Especially since I know you should be able to take it."

"Don't expect me to take it easy on you either pops," Gohan smirked back. "There's no way I'm losing to a dead guy."

"Dead maybe, but I've been training non stop in Other World for seven years now, when I haven't been eating that is. From what I've heard, you haven't been training nearly as hard as you should've been since I've been gone."

Gohan sweat dropped. "Well, no but…" His head veered off to the right until his eyes feel on Spopovich. "I do have a little extra incentive to win this fight."

"As I can see… I hope you're not looking past me Gohan. I don't think that's a mistake you can afford to make."

"No, I'm not looking past you dad. You're all I'm going to concentrate on right now."

A couple of grins were exchanged, but other then that no words were shared as the fight sprung. Gohan charged towards his much more patient father as he waited, and Goku simply began to move out of the way as Gohan swung at him erratically. Well, maybe not so simply… Goku was surprised by how fast Gohan was as he dodged his attacks. He figured his boy would've slowed down after dogging on his training for all those years, but apparently that wasn't the case. Then again, maybe he had lost a step… He did release tremendous power on that day against Cell… 

Gohan on the other hand wasn't surprised at all when his father reversed momentum, and came at him with equal speed. However, Gohan had a much more difficult time dodging his father's punches then Goku had with his. He had lost a step since his fight with Cell, along with some of his fighting sense. He was kind of surprised that his father hadn't managed to land a blow yet, and wondered if Goku was taking it easy on him regardless of what he had said. He got his answer when good old dad popped him the face with a right hook, sending his son sailing across the ring. Gohan fell over in surprise, but managed to rebound as his father bounded after him. He sprung upward, landing his feet in Goku's gut, but doing minimal damage. Goku landed on his feet, and sucked wind briefly before whirling back around. The Son men leapt at each other each launching an attack of their own, while somehow managing to avoid the other's in the process. They both landed gracefully on their feet, and turned to face each other while getting a decent hand from the paying crowd.

"This is absurd!" Vegeta grunted from inside the waiting room. "Are they going to keep playing around, or are they actually going to fight sometime today!"

"They're just warming up Vegeta, just be patient," Piccolo told him.

Before anybody could say another word, they were startled when Shin and Kabito suddenly walked up among the Z-senshi viewing the match. "I have a feeling things are going to pick up any moment. I can already feel Goku's energy swirling up inside him as we speak."

"Shin!" Piccolo stammered. "What brings you over here?…"

"I have a favor to ask of all of you."

"Favor?" Krillen asked. "What kind of favor? Who are you anyway?"

Shin ignored the question about his identity for the time being. "All I want you to do is stand back, and not interfere with this match."

"Why would we do that?" Krillen asked with a confused expression on his face.

"I'm fairly certain that once they transform Yamu and Spopovich will try to attack them. They don't know it yet, but Gohan is the one they're looking for. I want you guys to stand back, and let what happens happen."

"Humph! You obviously don't know what you're talking about Shin!" Vegeta scoffed. "Unless those two are total fools, which from the looks of them is a possibility, then they aren't going to inject themselves in this match! Those two wouldn't last five minutes in that ring with two Super Sayians!"

"Yeah, Vegeta's right," Krillen agreed. "Gohan and Goku can take care of themselves."

"Perhaps," Shin's head lifted slowly. "Still, just in case, I want you to agree to stand back. It is imperative that you obey my request."

"Look, who are you to order me around anyway?!" Vegeta demanded of him. "I take orders from no one! Especially from a coward who won't even stand up in the ring and fight with…"

"That's enough Vegeta!" Piccolo barked suddenly. "Show some more respect! That's no way to speak to the Supreme Kai!"

A wave of shock spread through the faces of the Z-fighters that were left, as they all turned to face who they now knew to be as Krillen would blurt out. "Shin! You're the Supreme Kai?!"

Before the shock even had time to settle in, they received another surprise as Videl came sprinting into the room nearly running into Vegeta in the process.

"Hey, watch it!" he growled, as she hopped up on the big square set up in the middle of the entryway.

Ryo looked up at Videl and snickered. "Whoa girl! Settle down before you collapse a lung or something!"

Goku and Gohan grinned as they stared one another down. "Not bad son. You're not as sharp as you should be, but it's better then I expected."

"Thanks… I've trained a little over the years, especially in the weeks right after you died. I'll admit that my training methods have been almost non-existent since I stared school… My only hope is that I don't completely embarrass myself today…"

"I don't think you have to worry about that… Now that we're warmed up, why don't we take it up a notch and fight for real?"

Gohan looked a bit apprehensive, as he looked out at the crowd. He knew what his father wanted… He just wasn't sure if he liked the idea or not. "Are you sure?… In front of all these people?!"

"Don't be ashamed of what you are Gohan," Goku told him. "This might be the only time we ever get to face off against each other for a long time, and I want to make it memorable. Besides, everyone will say we're just putting on a fancy light show and using cheap tricks anyway, so what does it really matter?"

"I guess you're right about that," Gohan admitted. "Okay then… Ready when you are!"

The two of them did just that. They braced their bodies, and in a stunning array of light ascended to the next level beyond that of a Sayian. The ground shook, the tiles on the ring moved a good ten feet in the air before dropping back down to the surface, and just about every jaw in the crowd dropped before and after the transformation was complete. All of the sudden the two fighters in the ring were surrounded in a golden aurora, and their hair had changed into a bright golden color. 

"What the hell?!…" One of the spectators gaped, as he dropped his drink. "How in the world did they do that?!"

"Oh, I see what's going on here," the fan in the seat next to him said. "This is probably just some fancy light show they added this year to make the tournament more interesting. Like they do with pyro-techniques in professional wrasslin'. I bet this whole thing was staged from the get-go. Like Hercule said, it's all just light's and tricks…"

"Yeah, you're probably right… It sure was realistic though…" That was pretty much the general feel around the arena.

Spopovich and Yamu's eyes just about shot out of their heads, as their energy detecting device began to react violently. The little needled spun around about thirty rotations per second, until finally the seashell looking device exploded in Spopovich's hands.

"The energy… It's unbelievable…" Yamu stuttered.

"Should we get them?" 

"Are you insane?! Do you expect the other to just stand there and watch?! I doubt they'd kindly stand at ease if we politely ask them if we can steal their energy either! Our best option would be to wait until one of them is alone, and attack them then. I'm pretty sure we can take them if we gang up on one of them… The older one appears a bit stronger according to the readings… Let's just wait and see what happens."

"Wow! Gohan's dad can change into the Gold Fighter too?" Videl gawked in amazement. "Wait a second, didn't I see Goten do it earlier too?…"

"Let's just say it runs in the family kid," Krillen said to her.

"How come you didn't power up to level two?" Goku asked his son.

"Well, that would kind of be an unfair advantage wouldn't it?" Gohan smirked.

"Oh yeah? What makes you think I haven't ascended to level two after all these years?"

Gohan eye's widened slightly, then smiled. "Umm… I guess I didn't think about that… But if you could I'd figure you would've already. Can you?"

"You'll find out eventually… Now enough talk! Here I come!"

Before Gohan could react, he bent over violently as Goku's fist came ramming into his gut. Before he could brace himself, his father was right back on him, throwing several punches that barely missed their target. The next blow didn't and connected dead on against Gohan's face. One more left to the chin, and Gohan went crashing down to the ground. Goku stood above him, and shook his head at his son.

"This isn't going to cut it Gohan. I know you can do better then this."

Gohan sat up, and whipped a trickle of blood from his mouth. "Now that you mention it, I think I can too."

Gohan sprung forward, and Goku's eyes winded when he felt his son's fist connect with his face. He'd curse himself later for letting his guard down, but as for right now he had to worry about blocking as his son's fists came flying at him. Gohan's leg swung around aiming for Goku's gut, but Goku spun out of the way exposing his back to Gohan. This is just what the boy hoped would happen, and quickly compensated with his other leg nailing his father right in the small of the back with his knee. Gohan followed up by socking his father in the face as he turned around, and now it was Goku getting better acquainted with the ring floor. Goku bounced up, balancing himself on one hand, as he stopped to stare back at his son. 

"Now that's more like it!" 

Goku flipped back to his feet, and the Sayian's charged each other full force. A wave of energy spread through the air, acting as a decent gust of wind as it gushed into the faces of the many onlookers. They weren't fooling around anymore as they went at it , moving so fast it was impossible for the fans in the stands to see them. While this angered some, most were too stunned to do much but stare at a pair of blurs in the ring. After a good five minutes of that Goku finally came into view as he stumbled backward out of the fray holding his jaw, and took to the air. Gohan emerged a second later, and took off after him. The fourth time they'd seen it that day, yet the fans appeared still as shocked as ever. 

The battle continued in mid-air, but that didn't slow down the pace one bit. All the people below could see were two blurs streaking across the sky. Goku figured he'd have the advantage if he stayed hovered above Gohan in the air, but instead found his position made it all that much more difficult for him to aim his attacks. A rare miscalculation on his part.

"Get off of me!" Goku snarled, as he tried to kick his son away. Gohan fluttered back a little, then zipped back up climbing his father's back. Gohan locked his father's arms over his head similar to the way he'd watched Trunks do to his brother earlier that day. All Goku could do was smile as he tried to wiggle his hands free. "Sorry Gohan, but this isn't going to work!"

Goku immediately powered out, grabbing Gohan by the arm, and flinging him towards the ground. Gohan took control of his body, and darted out of the way as Goku torpedo himself towards him. Goku turned himself around sharply, but Gohan was right on top of him, sending him towards the ring with a hard drop kick to his chest. Goku caught himself with his hands as he landed, and flipped himself up to his feet.

"Okay then! Let's try this! Ka-me-ha-me-ha!" Goku said quickly, launching the ball of Ki towards his son.

Gohan's face recoiled in shock, as the blast zipped past his face after he turned his body to avoid it. "Damn! He's really not kidding around… OHF!"

Before the boy could even finish that thought, his father was already in his face, or in his stomach with his fist rather. Goku threw several more punches and kicks at Gohan, several that landed and several Gohan managed to avoid, before Goku grabbed Gohan by the arm again and hurled him down towards the ring. This time Gohan crash-landed, leaving a nice dent in the ring canvas. Gohan quickly kicked back up to his feet however, avoiding his father as Goku rained back down on him. The two locked up again, fighting toe to toe too quickly for the normal eye to see.

"Whoa-ho! They're really going at it!" Krillen snickered as he looked on. 

"I can't even see them?!" Videl whined, as she looked on in shock. "How the hell are they moving so fast?! I can't tell if Gohan's winning or losing!"

"He's holding his own Videl," Ryo told her.

Videl looked down at him skeptically. "You can see them?!"

Ryo nodded his head. "It's not easy, but I can make out their movements when I concentrate."

Videl looked a bit unsure as she looked back over at the two blurs zipping across the ring. She tried to focus on the images, but she just didn't see anything more then an occasional arm or leg apparently shooting out of nowhere. She looked around and noticed how everybody else seemed to be looking on like they could see everything just fine. "That's impossible! Why can't I see them and they can?!"

Gohan back-flipped away from his father after getting nailed with a hard right to his face. Goku jetted back towards him, and took a swing at Gohan's face that was off target. Gohan maintained his balance, kicked his father in the gut, but by the time he could press his attack Goku had already recovered, and was back to matching Gohan's every move. And word for word… Well…

"So Gohan, how have you liked attending public school these past few months?"

"It's been okay I guess," Gohan said, as he dodged a kick, then a punch towards his face. "Most of the kids think I'm a dork, but I've learned to live with that."

"Why do they think you're a dork?" Goku asked as he dodged a left jab then loaded up one of his own. 

"I don't know… Mom thinks it's because they're jealous that I'm smarter and better looking then they are… But that's just mom you know. I'm sure I did something to make them think that way."

"But you've been holding up okay despite that?" Goku grunted, as he aimed a roundhouse for Gohan's head. 

  
"Yeah I've been doing fine," Gohan said, as he ducked under his father's leg. He took a swipe at his father's gut, but he dodged out of the way. Soon they were back to their regular pattern of miss, block, dodge, and miss. "It became annoying sometimes, but meeting Videl and Ryo have really helped me along. They've made things a lot easier for me."

"I see!" Goku said, as he moved his head from side to side, avoiding Gohan's fists. "You guys really do seem close."

"Yeah, they're great. Ryo is kind of out there in a lot of ways. His sense of humor reminds me a lot of Krillen's, but Ryo makes him look tame. He's a really good guy though. It's nice to have someone my own age I can relate to. From everything to the super powers, to having difficulties fitting in with the other kids you know?"

"That's good to hear… So, in other words Ryo is kind of like your Krillen hey?" Goku joked, as he took a swing at his son's head that Gohan dodged. "But to tell you the truth I was kind of talking about Videl…"

Gohan tensed up briefly, but that was one second to many as his father's fist came slamming into his face. He quickly rebounded and matched Goku's pace, but the boy's father laughed at him anyway. "There we go! I know what your weakness is now!"

"She's not a weakness!" Gohan growled, despite deep down knowing that's not the way his father meant it. "I just let my mind wander for a second that's all…"

"That can get you killed in a fight you know Gohan?"

"I know," Gohan acknowledged, as he tried to sweep his father's feet out from under him. Goku jumped over his leg, and the two immediately went back to throwing appendages around. "So, how's life in Other World… Or rather how is the after life in Other World?"

"Ah, it's okay," Goku said, as he and his boy continued to exchange blows. "All I can really do though is train and eat. I guess it's a lot better to keep my body to train other then going where I might've ended up. I got to fight in his tournament at the Grand Kai's place however. I fought this really strong warrior named Pikkon. He nearly got the best of me, but I managed to squeak by him. Other then that, all I did was train my body, and learned how to push my capabilities as a Super Sayian."

"Is that so?" Gohan asked, interpreting what his father meant by that. "So, I guess that means you did make it to level two Super Sayian huh?"

Goku smirked at his son, as Gohan's fist came streaking by his face. "Wouldn't you like to know? I'm still wondering why you didn't ascend to level two however. Is it really because you didn't want an unfair advantage, or is it because you've lost too much power over the years… Or did you just forget how after the first time?" 

"Do I really have to answer that?" Gohan sweat dropped. "So, I guess I should take that a yes huh? About you reaching the next level and all."

"Whatever you'd like to believe," Goku smirked. "So, you really like Videl huh?"

"That's not going to work this time dad," Gohan said, as he blocked his father's fist. "I'm not going to let my focus wander again."

"Good for you son. I was just wondering if you've seen her naked yet though."

"What?!" Gohan blushed, and promptly received his father's fist in his face once again. Gohan growled, and leapt out of the way of his next attack. 

"Ha, ha! Exactly what body part are you thinking with right now Gohan?"

"Dad, please!" Gohan smirked evilly. "You're making me think of the time Mom told me about that thing she used to do to you in bed."

"She told you about that?!" Goku recoiled in horror, before feeling his son's fist connect with his gut. 

"Ha! You mean there really is a thing?! I don't think I even want to know then!"

Goku grinned, and growled at his son as he blocked his offensive. "That's it! You're going down now you little brat!"

"What are they doing?" Kabito asked his mentor, very nearly looking confused.

Shin looked rather confused himself at the thought waves he was picking up from the two combatants. "Well… I know this is going to sound strange, but it appears that they're having a conversation…"

"Conversation? What type of conversation?"

"Well, that's the thing… It appears to be about school, and family life actually…"

Kabito's eyes widened. "What? In the middle for a fight?!"

"I know it sounds strange, but that's what they're talking about…Strange indeed."

"Why am I not surprised?" Piccolo asked himself quietly, overhearing Shin and Kabito's conversation. "Only Goku and Gohan could manage to have a casual conversation in the middle of beating each other's brains in…"

"What the hell does Goku think he's doing?!" Chichi seethed, as she stood up on her seat in the crowd. "What was he thinking shooting his stupid energy attack like that at my baby?! And why do they have to punch each other in the face?! If they don't start playing nice I'm going to march right down there and…"

"And do what Chichi? Get your head blown off?!" Bulma scoffed at her. "You know full well you can't stop a Sayian when they get this way."

"That's no excuse! Why did they have to fight each other in the first round anyway?!" Chichi growled, as she grabbed Yamcha by the collar of his shirt. "They're setting a horrible example for Goten! He may just become traumatized from having to watch this!" 

In the meantime Goten was up in his seat jumping up and down excitedly. "Yeah, go dad! Get him Gohan! Bite him in the head! Oh looky daddy's going to blast him again!"

Bulma rolled her eyes. "Yeah, he looks so distraught."

"Goku what do you think you're doing?! Don't kick him there!" Chichi barked, as she squeezed the collar on Yamcha's shirt tight around his neck. 

"Chichi…" Yamcha wheezed, as his face turned red. "Please let go…"

"Gohan?! Who taught you how to do that?! It was those hooligans at school wasn't it?! I'm going to have a long talk with that young man when this day is through!" Chichi let out one last growl, before letting Yamcha go, more or less throwing him to the ground. 

Yamcha groaned as he looked up at the sky. "Please end this soon guys, before Chichi kills me…"

In the meantime, the situation in the ring was getting more intense, and the hits were getting heavier now as they were finally landing some. Both were beginning to ware twenty minutes into the match, as father and son pounded on each other. Goku doubled over as Gohan drove his knee into his abdomen, only to handspring himself to his feet and striking his son as he charged in with a kick to his face. Goku rushed towards him, and slammed his right hand underneath his son's jaw. Gohan hit the ground and rolled, but quickly picked himself up and went back at it.

"Hah! Yah!" Gohan roared, as he rapidly punched at his father's face. Several landed, the final blow spinning Goku's head around. Gohan loaded up his left leg, and as soon as his old man's head popped up he kicked him right underneath the chin. Goku spun around, and hit the ground with a sickening thud. 

Goku picked himself up surprisingly slow, holding his chin in his hand. "Damn… He got me good there… I can't keep letting my guard down just because he's my son."

"I'm waiting dad!" Gohan panted, waiting for his father to get to his feet. "I know you have a lot more in you then that, so let's get on with it."

"If you insist…" Goku smirked, as he fired up his Ki. He raced towards his son who braced himself for the confrontation, but his resourceful father surprised him by not coming on with a head on attack. Instead, Goku tried to sweep Gohan's legs out from under him. Gohan saw this coming, and back flipped out of the way, but that's just what Goku wanted him to do. Before Gohan even landed, the full-blooded Sayian sprung back up and planted his foot right in the center of Gohan's back. Gohan cried out in agony, as his body landed in a very unnatural manner. He picked himself up quickly though, but couldn't quite get his head straight enough to face his father's onslaught. Several blows to the body and face later, Gohan was sent back down on the ring floor with one crushing punch to his jaw. 

"Have you had enough yet son?" Goku asked him, noticing how sluggish Gohan look as he got to his feet. For a moment Sayian fighting instincts faded away, replaced by the human parental instincts he'd developed during his time on Earth. "I really don't want to hurt you, so if you've had enough…"

"Not a chance…" Gohan smirked, as he wiped a trickle of blood off his mouth. "You're either going to have to knock me out cold, or out of the ring if you want to win this one…"

Goku smiled back, feeling those Sayian instincts returning. "Then that's just what I'll do then."

"Come on Gohan! Keep your head up! Watch out, he's just baiting you in! Damn!" Videl cursed, as she watched Gohan crash to the ground again. At least they were moving slow enough for her to see them now, even though now she was wishing she couldn't. That was the third time in the last five minutes Gohan had been knocked to the ground.

Ryo gritted his teeth. "If Gohan doesn't think of something quick he's going to lose this thing!"

"Either that or the time limits going to get them," Krillen informed them. "They've only got like two minutes left before they call the fight!" (Or in DBZ time about 3½ weeks)

"Thirty minutes!" Vegeta scowled. "That's not enough time for a Sayian to even warm up! We can fight for days if we wanted to! The only reason Kakarott's brat is tiring so quickly is because he hasn't been training for months! This is what happens when you slack off for seven years!"

Videl's ears tweaked as she heard Vegeta speak, frowning at the end where he insulted him. Sayian huh?… Is that what Gohan is?

"Damn!" Gohan moaned, as his father lunged at him again. Ten blows in rapid succession to the body and face… Finally, one more blow underneath the chin, and Gohan was rolling on the ring again. Only this time he didn't get up right away… Not because he couldn't, but he needed time to regroup. His ears barely picked up on the MC beginning to count him out, as he lie there. Damn it! If I keep this up, I'm going to lose for sure! Dad wasn't kidding when he said he learned to push his limits as a Super Sayian… I just can't keep up with him anymore… This is what I get for being lazy with my training for seven years! Well… There may be one way… It's a long shot, but it just might work.

"Five… Six…. Seven…."

"Save your breath, I'm fine," Gohan said, as he stood upright.

Goku sighed, and braced himself for battle. "Gohan, why don't you just back down and admit defeat? After neglecting your training for all this time, you obviously can't keep up with me. I really don't want to prolong this any further, so why don't you just give up?"

"Because I'm a Sayian, and like I heard Vegeta say once, we'd rather die then give up our pride by doing something like quitting in the middle of a fight!"

Vegeta's face lit up in surprise, as he heard Gohan blurt that out loud enough for him to hear. Vegeta smirked slightly at this. Well, well… Maybe the boy isn't completely hopeless after all.

Goku growled partially in frustration, and powered up. He wanted to end this now, and as quickly as possible. He wanted to fight with his son, not use him as a punching bag. His boy had given him a good twenty-five minutes, but now it was clear that this thing was done and over with. "Fine! If this is the way you want it, then this is the way it's going to be! I'm ending this thing now Gohan for you own good! Here I come!"

Goku came barreling towards his son, and Gohan just stood there and waited. He closed his eyes, and focused as his father's energy came streaking towards him. It was all in a span of time less then a second, but the moment he felt his father right in front him he focused all his Ki towards his head and screamed. "MIND BENDER!"

  
Ryo and Piccolo's faces exploded with shock, as Gohan blurted out those words. "No way!" Ryo gaped.

Piccolo looked down at Ryo looking equally as surprised. "You taught him how to do that?!"

"Well I tried, but he couldn't seem to get the hang of it…" Ryo explained. "I guess now we just have to wait and see if it worked."

"Yes… This should be interesting," Piccolo said, as he gawked at the ring. A brief mixture of shock, pride, and jealously swept through him all at once. Ryo had been trying to teach Piccolo that technique for months now, and the Namek couldn't even come close to mastering it. If this truly did work the way it was supposed to, that meant Gohan had learned how to use it a matter of a few weeks. 

"Ah!" Goku screeched, as he came to halt when he felt some strange wave of energy seemingly fly right into his face. He wasn't wounded by whatever it was, nor did he feel any discomfort. Just a bit dizzy, and surprised as he wondered what his son had just done to him. He shook his head straight, and then opened his eyes… And they widened at what they saw. The arena was rolling around him slowly, as if he was looking at it through the other end of a fish tank, and there appeared to be what looked like eight different Gohan's surrounding him.

"What in the hell?! Hey this is a lot like Master Roshi's shadow technique isn't it?" Goku smiled, thinking he had the entire situation figured out. "Well, I hate to break the news to you Gohan, but this isn't going to work on me!"

Goku focused his energy, and tried to make out which of these images was really his son by picking out his Ki. He picked out the one standing directly in the middle of the ring. "Gotcha!" 

Goku swung his fist at Gohan, but to his surprise his momentum took him right through what he thought was his son. He stopped as all the images around him disappeared, and the real world slowly began to reshape itself. 

"What in the?… AH!" Goku shouted in pain, as Gohan drove his foot into Goku's back. Goku went lunging to the ground expecting to fall smack dab in the center of the ring. But to his surprise he didn't taste tile, but something much more rough and scratchy. He opened his eyes to see what it was. "Grass… WHAT THE?!"

Goku sat up, and looked around him. He then realized he was sitting outside of the corner of the ring, staring up at his son who had a look of utmost shock on his face. "Gohan?"

"And Goku has landed out of the ring!" the MC announced over his microphone. "That means the winner of this match is Gohan! What an amazing turn around folks!"

"I can't believe it, he won!" Videl cheered. A little overexcited, she lost her balance and flipped over the top of the square, crashing down to her butt on the entryway. 

"Watch it Videl!" Ryo laughed. "You aren't just a little happy there for him are you Videl?"

"Shut up Ryo!" Videl barked. She dusted herself off, and ran out towards the ring. 

Ryo smiled, and looked over at Gohan who looked just absolutely stunned he actually won the match. "Well, what do you know. That kid is something else isn't he?"

"You can say that again," Piccolo smirked with pride. "He's a resourceful one, I'll tell you that much."

"Goku lost?!" Krillen asked to no one in particular. "Man, I'd never thought I'd see this day…"

Eighteen smirked slightly. "The boy's lucky… But most of us do make our own luck."

Vegeta stared at the ring in shock. He had just seen Kakarott run clear across the ring in the opposite corner from where his son was standing, punch thin air, and all of a sudden get knocked out the ring to lose a match he was in firm control of just moments before. Vegeta couldn't help but laugh at this. "That clown lost! I've got to learn what that boy just did to him… That looks like it might come in handy one of these days…"

"Interesting finish don't you think?" Shin asked Kabito.

Though Kabito looked indifferent, he meant it when he said. "Indeed. Do you really think the boy is stronger then his father, or was it just dumb luck."

"It's hard to say… It is true that Gohan has lost a lot of his fighting instincts over the years, that's easy to tell… Whether or not Goku or Vegeta are still stronger then he is I'm not quite sure. He might still be just as powerful as ever, and possibly has just simply forgotten how to use all of his power… We'll find out which soon enough... Either way, he and the others will all be a great help to us."

"I agree that the Sayians, the Namek, and the psychic should be of great help to us, but what about the others? Can the android, Krillen, and the girl hold their own against what we're about to face."

"The android definitely. From what I've gathered she's very strong, but she doesn't have a Ki and that's why we can't sense how strong she actually is. Krillen can contribute in other areas, and as for the girl… With a little work she could be very useful. Possibly what puts us over the top in this upcoming war… She has an enormous well of power welling up inside of her just waiting to be released. Gohan and Ryo have realized most of theirs, and soon it will be her turn."

"But do we have time to train her before Babadi's plan can come to fruition?"

"That's the question my friend… Because time is the one thing we don't have."

Goku stared at his son in confusion, as they walked towards each other… "Gohan… What… What the heck just happened?!"

Gohan rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "Well, that was a new trick my friend Ryo taught me… I can focus my Ki and manipulate it in unique ways by using my brainwaves, and that allowed me to fire sort of a Ki blast straight into your head. This technique in particular temporarily distorts the targets equilibrium, and makes them see things that aren't really there or distorts images in some way. Kind of like when you spin around and around, and make yourself dizzy or when you're drunk."

"But that's cheap!" Goku smiled slightly.

"Maybe so, but it worked… You're actually the first person I've ever tried it on, so I wasn't sure it would work. I was desperate though, and I'm glad it did… You're not mad at me are you?"

Goku's smile widened, and he put his hands up on his son's shoulders. "No, of course I'm not mad son. You won fair and square. In fact, this just might be the proudest day of my life Gohan. You gave me one hell of a fight! Congratulations son."

"Thanks dad," Gohan said softly, before their bodies locked in a big hug.

Videl almost wanted to cry as she watched Gohan and his father… Well, more Gohan of course. She remembered a time when she and her father were that close. She waited until they parted ways, before lunging at Gohan locking him in a huge hug of her own. "Way to go Gohan! You won!"

"Umm… Yeah…" Gohan blushed, surprised by how cheerful and excited she seemed. "Well, you sure seem to be in a good mood… Don't get too excited though, that was only my first match. I still have three more to go before we can start celebrating."

"I know that, but don't be a spoiled sport Gohan!" Videl teased him. "And why shouldn't I be in a good mood?"

"Well, for one you just nearly did get killed by a madman in the center of that ring…"

"Are you still worried about that? Get over it for now Gohan, I'm fine! Now that I'm here, you know I'm pulling for you to win it all now don't you?"

"You're pulling for me?" Gohan asked. "Even over your father?"

"Did I stutter?" Videl asked sharply. She looped her arm around his, and started to drag him back towards the waiting room. "Now come on! They're going to want to start the next match now!"

"Okay sure…" Gohan said, as Videl helped him along. Man, what's gotten into her?

"Wow folks, was that one heck of a match or what!" the MC asked the cheering crowd. "Talk about going down to the wire! Well, without any further delay let's get on with the next match! Krillen vs. Hail!"

Krillen jumped slightly, as he heard his name called. "I guess it's my turn then. Well, I guess I better get on with it! No reason to worry, I'm going to totally cut loose!"

Krillen and Hail gave each other a brief glance before heading up the entryway. Krillen smirked feeling a lot of his initial uneasiness fading away. That was until he passed Gohan on the way to the ring, as he put a hand on Krillen's shoulder causing him to stop his progress. "Hey Gohan, what's up?"

Gohan looked down at him seriously, with Videl watching on in interest, still clutching on to Gohan's arm. "Watch yourself Krillen. This guy is no pushover. Be careful okay?"

Krillen looked a bit uneasy now, as he eyed his opponent Hail as he walked into the ring. "If you say so Gohan… But he doesn't seem all that strong to me."

"He's right," Goku frowned, as he walked up next to Gohan. "Be careful Krillen… This guy means business."

Piccolo looked on intently as Krillen apprehensively walked into the ring with Hail. Showing tremendous grit, Piccolo approached the now revealed Supreme Kai. Shin smirked and answered his unasked question.

"No need to be afraid of me Piccolo. Ease up, and don't be so tense… As for what you wanted to ask me, no Hail and Rain have nothing to do with Yamu and Spopovich."

Piccolo's face recoiled with nervous tension, but he managed to settle himself down. "Umm… Thank you… But I was wondering if you might know why the Ray Lien are here if they are not associated with those two?…"

Shin frowned, and eyed Piccolo strangely. Piccolo's face recoiled fearing he may have insulted the overseer of the known universe, but eased up as Shin began to speak. "This is going to sound strange, but I have no idea whatsoever… I can't seem to read their thoughts…"

"Why is that?… Are they masking their thoughts from you somehow?"

Shin smiled at the tension still evident in the Namek's voice. "You can say that I guess… The way their masking their thoughts however is by not thinking at all… Their minds are completely clear… The only thing they're concentrating on are their opponents. Besides that, they aren't giving me anything to work with. I can't even tell you who their targets are at this time. I'm also quite surprised that Spopovich and Yamu refrained from interfering with Gohan and Goku's match. I guess they didn't like their chances with both of them in the ring together."

"Wow, that was invigorating!" Goku stretched his arms in the air as he walked back into the waiting area, Gohan and Videl following close after him. He paused and stared noticing Piccolo and Shin conversing with each other. "Hey Piccolo… Shin… What's going on?"

  
Piccolo tensed up a bit, while Shin simply smirked. "Oh Goku! Gohan… I suppose I should introduce you properly… This is the Supreme Kai…"

Goku nearly fell out of his face. "What?! You're the Supreme Kai Shin?! I've heard stories from King Kai but…"

Videl cocked an eyebrow. "Huh? What's a Kai?"

"It's just another part of a long story," Gohan told her. "Don't worry, you'll hear it all tonight."

Videl frowned at this. "Oh yeah… That!"

Shin snickered and looked out towards the ring. "While this has all been very interesting, your friend's match is about to begin. You may want to consider giving it the attention it deserves."

In the meantime, Krillen examined his opponent as he stood across from him in the ring. He did look menacing with his large arms peaking out of his blue Gi, but Krillen still couldn't see what Gohan and Goku were so worried about. Then again, he'd be foolish to doubt their word. It was just enough to create a nervous feeling in the pit of his stomach. It seemed to take forever for the MC to say those words, but when he finally did they seemed to come all to soon.

"Okay fighters! Let the match begin!"

"Okay!" Krillen said, as he drug his foot against the ring floor. "Let's see what you got!"

End. 

Whew… This one was a toughie, but fun to write. I got a hold of a couple of the new DBZ tapes yesterday… I won't spoil anything for anybody who hasn't seen the new episodes yet, but it turned out to be a good move for me as I finally got the see the episode where Videl finds out Gohan is dead. The anime actually did a good job all around with the character reactions. I'll have to take back a lot of the nasty things I said about their character development, but not all of it… Still, think it could've been better. I mentioned this because I decided to go back and change my future outline for this story a little after watching some of the new episodes. I got some much better ideas I feel after viewing them. Another good thing was that it really refueled my fire to continue on with this story. Not that it was ever dying or anything, but my interest would flicker on and off to other things from time to time. 

__

Preview of chapter 17 _The fight between Krillen and Hail gets well underway, and Krillen may just find out exactly what Gohan and Goku were talking about. Plus Ryo gets a strange request from the Supreme Kai when he steps into the ring for this match with Yamu. Depending on how long all this runs, I might even go ahead and finish the first round. I'll have to wait and see what happens from here._


	17. Chapter 17

-Howdy! Whew, I thought I was never going to get this done… I've had a wild last couple of weeks to deal with… Oh well, I don't have much to say here this week, so let's get on with it!

-Disclaimer: Yes, I do own DBZ! Well, the two videos I just bought at Media Play anyway, but that's about it.

Chapter 17

"Here I come!" Krillen shouted, as he engaged Hail. The blue ninja snickered in amusement as he easily outmaneuvered the little man's onslaught. He sure was trying his heart out though… To bad for him that Hail wasn't much for sentiment or good effort. As soon as he got bored, Hail shoved Krillen back a ways before driving his knee into Krillen's midsection. Hail spun around planting his foot right in the back of Krillen's head, sending him skipping across the ring floor. 

"Shit!" Krillen mouthed, as he picked himself up. "This guy is strong… Way too strong for me… Kami, what did I get myself into?"

Krillen's face recoiled in horror as he found Hail was already standing in front of him. "Allow me to enlighten you."

Krillen grunted out loud repeatedly as he barely managed to avoid the rapid punches Hail was throwing at him. He was beginning to think the blue ninja was merely toying with him, and soon would discover how right he was. His right hand came in fast, nailing Krillen in the gut again. His left hand headed straight for his face immediately afterward, but slow enough for Krillen to block it… Or at least that's what he thought. Krillen looked around in confusion finding Hail was nowhere in sight. "Where did he?…"

Krillen got this sickening feeling in his stomach when he felt the tap on his shoulder. He knew he shouldn't have turned around, but what else could he do? As soon as his head turned to face his opponent, Hail's fist came crashing into his face. Krillen went sailing across the ring headed straight for one of the four walls surrounding the ring. Krillen's face filled with determination as he summoned up a chunk of his energy to stop his momentum right before he sailed out of the ring. It was just enough to catch himself near the edge of the ring, and allowed him to flip himself back onto his feet. 

"Whoa, that was a close one!" Videl called from the sidelines. 

"He probably would've been better off if he fell outside of the ring," Gohan said, gritting his teeth. "He's way in over his head on this one…"

"Arghh!" Krillen screamed again, as his face hit the floor. Hail wasted no time pressing the attack on his opponent, but this time Krillen was ready for him. Krillen launched himself like a rocket directly into Hail's stomach, catching the Ray Lien off guard. Krillen immediately swarmed the ninja, smacking him in the face repeatedly with a flurry of punches. Hail staggered back, for whatever reason not even trying to block any of Krillen's attacks. Krillen wound up and drilled Hail with everything he had, and as a result the blue ninja went skidding across the ring.

Krillen wasn't about to waste time celebrating however. He felt something fishy going on with how easily he got to Hail after how firmly in control the Ray Lien was just a moment ago. Krillen pounced on Hail, and discovered his worries were well founded when all of the sudden Hail was back up to his feet. Krillen could see him grinning behind his mask, as he stopped Krillen's fist and held it at arm's length. Krillen tried to pry himself loose, but it was to no avail.

"Let go of me!" Krillen grunted, as he tired in vain to pry his arm loose.

  
"When I'm good and ready." Krillen would take that as a no in a second, once Hail twisted his arm around. A shrill scream erupted from Krillen's mouth as he heard several bones inside of his arm crack. Hail snickered as he reared back his fist, and slammed it into Krillen's jaw. Krillen's body flew backward, but Hail refused to let him go and pulled Krillen back towards him. Hail helped Krillen back up to his feet, well sort of, and proceeded to slap Krillen around viciously.

"Krillen!" Gohan gritted his teeth, and practically dug his feet into the ground. This was the third time that day that he had to watch something like this… And he was getting tired of standing back and doing nothing…

"Calm down Gohan…" Goku said, placing his arm in front of his son. "I don't like watching this anymore than you do, but we can't rush out there every time somebody gets into a bit of trouble. We knew the risks before we agreed to walk into that ring."

Videl looked at Goku curiously, and then back over to Eighteen who was standing next to her. She didn't even notice her walk up. Videl found her expression quite interesting. It was just about normal, the way she usually looked anyway. Videl was starting to wonder if she even cared if her husband got this head knocked off or not.

"Ah, ah, argh!" Krillen bellowed, as his head jerked from side to side violently. Hail snickered as he gave Krillen one last backhand across his face. Tired of slapping the little man around, he began to kick him repeatedly. He alternated between his gut and face, until Krillen's body couldn't even manage to stand up anymore and fell limp. Hail grunted disgustedly just like a child who'd grown tired of playing with his favorite toy.

"I guess I've played around long enough. All you're doing now is getting in the way of my mission." Hail grinned evilly behind his mask. "Then again, maybe I do have time for a little more fun."

Hail spun Krillen around by his arm, and flung him high up in the air. Krillen screamed as his body did flips while he flew upwards, and continued to scream when he began to plummet back towards the ground. Hail spread his legs apart, and summoned up a large ball of Ki in his hands. Hail sent the blast upward, and it hit its intended target, Krillen, dead on. The blast ripped through Krillen's body, dissimilating the shirt he was wearing on contact. Krillen's smoldering body crashed belly first in the ring where he laid motionless, a soft groan serving as his only sign of life.

  
"Krillen!" Videl jumped when she heard Eighteen scream out her husband's name. She looked back at her, and saw her teeth grinding together, clearly angered at what she was witnessing. Maybe she did care.

"Oh my folks…" the MC gasped. "Krillen is down hard… I guess all I can do is start the count… 1, 2..."

"He's not finished yet," Hail jeered, as he hovered over Krillen's carcass. "At least I'm not finished yet…"

Hail picked Krillen up by the hair, and slapped the short man on the back of the head until he regained consciousness. Krillen groaned groggily before Hail grabbed him by the throat, and picked his body up over his head. He squeezed down on Krillen's throat until his face turned blue. Finally, Krillen passed out again, as he was deprived of one of the few actions his body still had the strength to do. Hail threw him to the ground disgustedly. "Get up you little maggot! Don't tell me you're unconscious already! Get up you worthless…" 

Hail slapped him around again, until Krillen finally began to stir. Hail kicked him over on his back, and pressed his foot down on his neck. Krillen began to wiggle around beneath him, as Hail applied pressure to his throat.

"This is sick!" Gohan roared, as his hair began to flash gold and black again. "He's gone way too far now!"

Even Goku seemed to have a difficult time holding himself back now. "What the hell is he doing?! He could've won this thing a long time ago, there's no call for this!"  


Videl backed away a few steps from the angry Sayians. She could see now where Gohan got his temper from. These Son boys didn't fool around when their friends were in trouble. Her head shifted towards the side where Eighteen was standing. To her surprise her expression had changed somewhat. Her shoulders were tensed up slightly, and she was biting her lip as if to keep herself from saying something. "Eighteen…"

Eighteen didn't say a word, and just stared out at the ring.

Hail cackled as he applied pressure to Krillen's neck. His face now tinted purple, finally his lungs just quit on him, and his eyes rolled around to the back of his head. Hail didn't even seem to care, as he continued to press his foot down on his throat. "THAT'S ENOUGH!"

Hail looked up, and all he saw was someone's fist before it came crashing into his face. The blue ninja went skipping to the other side of the ring like a ping-pong ball before rolling to the outside, pushing up a cloud of dirt where he landed. Eighteen sneered in his general direction before kneeling down to check on her husband.

"Umm excuse me Ma'am…" The MC tugged at his collar nervously. "But interference during a match is strictly forbidden despite the circumstances…"

"Go to hell you idiot!" Eighteen growled at him, forcing the man a few steps back with a very frightened look on his face. "Look, I'm throwing out the match for him okay? This thing is over!"

"What?! I'm sorry but not just anybody can do that miss…"

Eighteen shot the man another look that made him want to crawl under the ring and hide. "I'm his wife you moron! If he's incapacitated that means I speak for him right? So, just call the damn match already!"

"Alright, if you insist…" the MC gulped. "Your attention please fans. Krillen's wife was thrown in the towel for him, so this match is officially over!"

"Whoa, did you see that?!" Videl gaped still stunned over what she just saw Eighteen do. "She just nailed that guy clear into next week!" She looked over at Goku and Gohan, and noticed the serious looks on both of their faces aimed towards the ring. "Guys… Is something wrong?"

Gohan was only able to mouth one thing. "Krillen…"

"Come on Krillen, wake up!" Eighteen demanded of him, as she tired to shake him awake. After that failed she put her head down over his chest, and her eyes widened in horror.

"Is something wrong Miss Eighteen?" the MC asked her cautiously.

  
Eighteen growled as her head shot up off his chest. "Of course there's something wrong, he's not breathing you idiot!"

The MC's face recoiled in horror. "Oh no! Get the medical staff quick, this man's stopped breathing!"

  
The crowd watched on in disbelief, as Eighteen began to perform CPR on Krillen towards the far end of the ring. The paramedic team on duty stood by as nothing more then bystanders after Eighteen refused to hand him over to them. Perhaps no one in the audience was more captivated by the scene then the small group huddled somewhere towards the center of the stands.

"Daddy?… Why isn't he getting up?" 

"Don't watch Marren!" Yamcha picked the little girl up, and hid her face against his chest so she wouldn't look out at the ring. "He'll be okay honey, just don't look okay…"

"Let me go!" the little girl cried, as she tried to wiggle free. "I want to see…"

"What did that big bully do to him?!" Goten whined, as he leaned over the rail for a better look.

"He's not even moving!" Trunks stammered in horror as he looked on. "I think he might be dead…"

"Krillen you get up right now!" Bulma screamed at him from above. "Don't you dare die down there!"

"Bulma watch it!" Chichi growled, as she elbowed her in the side. "Remember! Marren!"

"Oh yeah, that's right…" Bulma whispered. "I almost forgot."

"Damn it Krillen! Don't you dare die on me!" Eighteen growled, as she pressed down on his chest. Krillen remained still beneath her. She breathed into him a couple more times, then pressed on his chest again. Finally… She heard Krillen cough, and shortly after his eyes slowly opened. Eighteen sighed in relief.

"Krillen…"

"What the…" Krillen chocked softly, as he tried to remember just where he was, and what was going on… "Eighteen… My match with Hail… What happened?"

"Don't worry about that, it's over now," Eighteen smiled down at him. "Just close your eyes, and I'll get you out of here okay?"

The MC sighed in relief, as he heard Krillen speak. "Good news folks, it looks like Krillen's going to be okay!" he announced to the cheers of most of the crowd, and some boos from a few scattered sicko's who wanted to see someone killed.

Eighteen's head snapped up when she heard Hail cackle from behind her. "How cute, you ran in to save your little husband. Well, you got one good shot in, but I'm afraid I get the last laugh. I'm quite pleased you saved his life actually. Now I can continue on to the second round, thank you so much."

Before Eighteen could retort the MC beat her to it. "Not so fast buddy! What you pulled still qualifies as excessive force under the Tenkaichi rulebook as long as the panel of officials agree. It didn't take them long to make a unanimous decision this time. You my friend, are here by disqualified from the rest of the competition!"

"What?! That's absurd! He's still alive, you can't just make up rules as you go along!" 

The MC smiled at him. "Yeah, yeah, tell it to somebody who cares. Better luck next year!"

"No," Eighteen said suddenly, as she stood up, cradling Krillen in her arms. "Don't disqualify him."

"Huh?!" The MC appeared shocked as he looked over at her. "But what?…"

"I said don't disqualify him. That would be letting him off too easily. Let him get back into the ring. He'll get what's coming to him there."

"Well I…" The MC looked over towards the waiting room where the rest of the fighters were looking on. "How do the rest of you feel about that?"

Mostly silence from the other participants expect for when Gohan spoke up. "I don't think any of us have a problem with that."

"Well then… Since there's no objections from the other fighters, and technically he doesn't have to be disqualified since Krillen is still alive… I guess the final decision falls to me… Okay then, Hail will be allowed to continue on in the tournament!" The MC appeared to be very reluctant as he spoke those words. "I hope I don't regret this…"

Hail smirked underneath his mask. Excellent. Now I can continue on… It's a shame I can't hit my target now, but at least I can have a bit more fun while I'm here.

Shin's head snapped up, as he eased dropped on the Ray Liens thoughts. "Interesting…"

Everyone turned their attention towards the Supreme Kai. "What is it sir?" Piccolo asked him.

"Well, I just picked up something from Hail… He said he could no longer hit his target, so I can only assume that means the person he's after has already been eliminated."

"Well, at least that narrows down one of the questions," Goku said. "But that still doesn't tell else who he's after."

"Actually, it does when you think about it," Shin smirked. "There are only three possible candidates it could be now. I highly doubt they'd be after you Goku considering you're already dead."

"So, that only leaves me and Piccolo…" Videl analyzed as did Piccolo quietly. The Supreme Kai turned his head to scan over both of them. "Yes, that's the way it seems. At least now we know he's after one of you. Considering that Hail is among their highest class of warriors, my guess would be Piccolo is his target."

Videl's brow furrowed over her eyes. "So, why would it have to be Piccolo if he's one of their strongest fighters? He could still be after me, I'm no slouch you know!"

Shin gave her a bit of a look, then smiled. "Yes, of course. We should be ready for any and all possibilities. At least we know we should be watching your backs at the very least. It might be best to make sure neither of you go anywhere alone. Hail is less likely to attack if you're not by yourself."

Both Piccolo and Videl nodded their heads in acknowledgement. Shin looked over at Gohan and smirked. "I'm sure Gohan won't have any objections towards staying close to Videl, so I'd suggest you just make sure you pair up with someone for the time being Piccolo."

Videl and Gohan both blushed while Piccolo nodded yes. "Better yet, we should just all stay together and keep an eye out. We have no idea of knowing who Rain is after either…"

Piccolo paused and turned his head, remembering that the green ninja was standing only a few feet behind him. Rain did not say or do anything to acknowledge Piccolo in the least. He simply leaned up against the wall with his eyes closed.

Before any further conversation could be shared, everybody parted way for Eighteen as she came strolling inside with Krillen still lying in her arms. She propped him up against the wall, and knelt down next to him. Eighteen promptly held her hand out towards Gohan, and didn't even bother to look at him. "Gohan do you still have those senzu beans?"

"Oh sure." Gohan dug the bag out of his belt as he walked over to her, and placed a bean in her hand.

Krillen put his hand up to prevent Eighteen from stuffing the bean in his mouth. "No don't… You better save that. We might need it later… I'll be fine, I just need a little time to recover…"

"Don't argue with me!" Eighteen snarled. "Just take it!"

"Yes Ma'am…" Krillen grunted, and began to chew after she shoved it in his mouth. He didn't want to suffer any additional pain that would come resulting from disobeying his wife's wishes. It was a struggle to chew and the swallow the damn thing with his throat practically crushed into oblivion, but he managed to chock it down. Within seconds his eyes shot open, and he was back up on his feet hoping up and down to make sure all his body parts we're still working. "Wow! After all these years, I still can't believe how well those things actually work!"

Eighteen sighed in relief, smiled, and slapped Krillen on the back of head. "Don't you ever scare me like that again, you understand me?!"

"Hey, sorry babe… I've had more near death experiences and actual death experiences than I'd like to remember… I guess I won't be walking away with any money either… Sorry about that too."

  
"Don't worry about it… Some things are more important then money. Besides, I'm still in this thing don't forget."

"Wow, those things are amazing!" Videl gaped, staring at the rejuvenated Krillen. Nobody that wasn't in the back would've been able to believe this was the same guy who'd practically been strangled to death in the middle of the ring, nor that she was the same girl Spopovitch beat to pulp over an hour ago. "You know, you could make a fortune off of these as a miracle drug you know."

"Actually no we can't," Gohan began to explain to her. "First of all, they're vary rare, so we should really only use them in life or death situations. Secondly, they can't be used to kill bacteria or viruses, so they'd be useless as a drug anyway. They're only good for healing internal injuries that are caused unnaturally, and to restore a person's strength."

"I see…" Videl's head jerked around, when she heard the MC began to talk over the microphone. Fear filled her eyes as she remembered the bracketing for the tournament, and which match was next. "Oh shit!"

"Ladies and gentlemen our next match is Ryo vs. Yamu!"

Ryo smiled, and was about to walk out onto the entryway when he felt somebody grab his arm. He turned around to see that Videl had yanked him back inside. "Ryo wait up a second! I hate to say this to anyone, but I really think you should forfeit this fight."

Ryo looked at her as if she was crazy. "What are you talking about Videl?"

"Look, you saw what Spopovitch did to me, and I sincerely doubt this guy is going to be much different! We've already seen two slaughters today Ryo, so please don't make us sit through another one! Look, if Spopovitch tore me apart, then there's no way you could possibly stand up to this guy! Please don't go out there Ryo!"

Ryo felt insulted at first, and almost retorted accordingly. However, he stopped himself after he looked into her eyes, and saw how sincerely worried for him they looked. How they were practically pleading with him. Instead, Ryo smiled, and pulled his arm out of Videl's vice grip. This surprised the girl somewhat considering how tightly she was actually hanging on to him. "Don't worry about me Videl, I'll be fine. I appreciate your concern, but I think you're underestimating me just a little bit. I know you don't think much of me as a fighter, but you haven't seen me in action yet. I might just surprise you, in fact I'll guarantee it."

Growing impatient, Yamu looked back into the waiting area, and glared at Ryo. "Are you coming or not?!"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming," Ryo sneered, as he walked out next to him. "Don't act so tense, or you're going to shake the 'M' right off your forehead."

Videl stared dejectedly as Ryo walked towards the ring. "I'll be surprised if you manage to walk out of the ring in one piece…"

"Don't worry about him Videl," Gohan said softly, placing his hand on her shoulder. "He'll be just fine. He's a lot stronger then you think he is Videl… A lot stronger…"

Videl looked up at him. "You really think so? But if I couldn't beat Spopovitch… How can Ryo possibly defeat Yamu?"

Gohan sighed, and shook his head. "You'll understand eventually. Just watch and learn…"

"How you feeling Krillen?" Goku asked his friend, as he walked up next to him to view the next match. 

"Well, my body feels great right now… But then again, I don't imagine how things could've possibly gotten worse then there were just a few moments ago…"

As soon as he finished saying that, some strange music began to fill the room. Krillen, Goku, and Eighteen, all looked around rather confused, as a large ball of smoke shot out from one of the hallways. A couple of fireworks went off, and a deep growl could be heard coming from the ball of smoke. The smoke cleared revealing the World Champion himself Hercule, flashing his usual pose to the other fighters back stage. Krillen took one look at Hercule and sweat dropped. "I had to open my big mouth didn't I?"

"Arh! Hercule the World Champion is here! ARR!" Hercule paused, and sweat dropped when he realized everyone was looking out towards the ring and paying no attention to him. "Uh guys... World Champ here… Guy who defeated Cell remember?"

Either nobody heard him, or they just ignored him. All except Videl who took a second to turn back and wave to him "Oh hi dad."

"Hey sweat pea… Dang, must be some really interesting matches out there or something."

Meanwhile, the fighters were about half way down the ramp when the MC finished up the introductions. "Ryo is a fiery young first timer here at the tournament. If my sources are correct, I understand that Ryo was trained by the same man who trained Gohan, the young man who we watched upset his father earlier this round. We can probably expect to see a similar style from him here. Yamu is a tournament veteran who unfortunately has never managed to win a Tenkaichi bout in several tries. He's looking to change his luck this year against this inexperienced Tenkaichi rookie!"

A few seconds later Ryo and Yamu climbed into the ring. The MC was about to signal the start of the match when he heard some commotion going on backstage. A few fireworks went off, and smoke began to spew across the entire area. "Can this be folks?… Yes, this could only mean one thing!"

"I can't see!" Goku cried, as he was enveloped in a cloud of smoke. 

"What in the world?!" Kibito growled, as he was enveloped as well.

"Are we under attack?!" the Supreme Kai asked to anyone who was listening.

"No, it's just Hercule's damn pyro!" Krillen growled. "Why can't he just come out like all the other fighters! I swear, the guy thinks he's Hulk Hogan or something!"

A massive wave of cheers swept the crowd as their hero emerged form the smoke. Hercule played to the crowd for a few seconds while he made his way to his own personal seat set up right in the center of the north wall. Actually, it was more like a throne, and he waved to the crowd as he sat down in it. "Thank you everybody! Your hero is finally here! Now let's all sit back and enjoy the rest of tournament!"

Gohan sweat dropped as he watched Hercule sit down. "He has his own chair?…"

"I don't remember their being a seat there when I won the Tenkaichi a few years ago," Goku recalled.

"It wasn't…" Videl hung her head. "Dad had it constructed personally after he defeated Cell."

"Why am I not surprised?" Gohan muttered.

"Ladies and Gentlemen there you have it, Hercule has decided to join us and watch the action! Now if the fighters are ready you may begin!"

Yamu took a fighting stance, his body vibrating slightly. He didn't have as bad a case of the shakes as Spopovitch had, but it was enough to cause a distraction none the less. "Say there guy, are you okay? You know if you need it, I'm sure the doctor has a bottle of Prozac in the medicine cabinet."

"Silence boy!" Yamu grunted. "I didn't come here to talk, I came here to fight!"

"Well if you insist," Ryo smiled and took a fighting stance of his own. He was poised and ready to fight when he received a bit of a surprise as a voice entered his head that was not his own.

Ryo, can you hear me?

"Supreme Kai?" Ryo asked. This distracted the boy just enough to allow Yamu to sock him right in the face. Ryo hit the ground hard, but sprung back up to his feet in time to brace himself for Yamu's onslaught.

Ryo, I need you to listen to me, but keep your focus on the fight as you do so, Shin continued telepathically.

That's easier said then done, Ryo told him, as he dodged and blocked Yamu's arms and legs, staggering all over the ring as he did so. What exactly do you have to tell me?

I need for you to do me a favor. All I need for you to do is repeat everything I say to you to Yamu. You might not understand everything I tell you to say, but it's important for you to be convincing enough to make Yamu believe you're serious. Do you understand?

I understand… Okay, I'm ready whenever you are!

Good. First show Yamu you mean business.

That's an easy one. With the Kai's link temporally broken, Ryo was focused enough that he caught Yamu's fist as it came towards his face. Yamu seemed a bit surprised by this, but not nearly as much when Ryo's fist connected with his face. Yamu flew clear to the other side of the ring, and crashed to the ring floor. Yamu picked himself holding his face, surprised by how hard the boy had hit him. That punch really hurt…

Ryo smirked evilly, and stared down Yamu. "I know who you are Yamu?"

"Oh do you?" Yamu grinned back.

Ryo nodded his head, and repeated what the Supreme Kai was telling him telepathically. "I know all about you… And Babadi, and his plans to resurrect Majin Buu… And I know why you're here."

Yamu's grin faded. "Oh do you now? You're bluffing. You don't know a damn thing except maybe their names."

"I know everything my friend. I know you're here to gather energy for Buu… And we're not going to let you succeed Yamu. Thanks to you, we also know exactly where your master's spaceship is. Thank you so kindly by the way."  


"You're lying! There's no way you can possibly know where Master Babadi's spaceship is?!" Yamu shouted, fear highlighting his features. "Who the hell are you anyway?! How do you even know about Master Babadi let alone his plans! The Supreme Kai sent you didn't he?!"

"What is he doing?!" Videl asked, noticing how, rather then fighting, Ryo seemed to be talking Yamu's ear off.

"I don't know, but whatever he's saying it's sure getting Yamu riled up," Gohan observed. "It's not like he needed to be wound up any tighter then he already was…"

"Whatever he's telling him, he seems to be making stuff up off the top of his head," Piccolo said, overhearing most of the conversation with his sensitive ears. "At least I think he is… The strange thing about it is that Yamu is taking everything Ryo's telling him very seriously, so I can only guess that whatever Ryo's saying holds some weight… It may be possible that he knows something we don't, but if he does I don't see why he hasn't told us… Unless…" Piccolo's eyes shifted towards Shin. Shin smiled and nodded his head slightly, but didn't say anything. That was the only answer Piccolo needed, but Kibito answered for his master anyway.

"Yes, in case you're wondering the Supreme Kai is feeding Ryo every word he's said to Yamu so far. He doesn't know any more about what he's saying then you do. That's all I can tell you right now, you will all understand as soon as this fight is over." 

Gohan tensed up a bit when he saw the look Videl was giving Kibito. "Understand what? And when did you tell Ryo what to say? I didn't see you talking to him or anything before the match?" Videl growled when both Shin and Kibito ignored her, and continued to stare out at the ring. "Excuse me, didn't you hear me?!"

"Videl don't!" Piccolo panicked as he stepped in front of her. "That's not the way you want to talk to this guy, trust me! Show him a little more respect!"

"Why should I?! I don't even know him?! You guys won't even tell my what a Kai is?! All I did was ask a question, and just like with all the other questions I've asked nobody ever answers me!"

"Whoa! Calm down girl!" Gohan laughed nervously. He buckled his arms around her waist, and steered her safely away from Piccolo and the Kai. "It's all just a misunderstanding. You'll know everything soon enough…"

"I'd better!" Videl shouted. "This is getting ridiculous! Why am I the only one who doesn't know what's going on around here?! NOBODY TELLS ME ANYTHING!"

Shin grinned as he overheard Videl ranting. "Spunky isn't she?" Kibito just grunted in response.

"What is he doing? Has he lost his mind?" Takura asked himself, as he watched his friend apparently taunting his opponent in the ring. "Then again, I think he misplaced that thing a long time ago."

"Don't worry about who I am, or how I've come to know all this," Ryo said, finishing up the Kai's last feed. "You'd better heed my warning well however. As soon as I'm finished with you here, we're going to attack your masters spaceship full force, and end his evil plans once and for all."

"No! I won't let you! I'm going to finish you right here!" The enraged Yamu clenched his fists, and rushed Ryo. Ryo took him on, and struggled to block a flurry of appendages while listening to Shin at the same time. 

Excellent job Ryo! You've got him panicked, so my plan should unfold perfectly now. Try your best to keep him intimidated, my plan may not work if he doesn't think you're serious.

How am I supposed to do that?! I'm not exactly what most people would consider intimidating you know?!

Perhaps, but give it a try anyway, and try to end this as quickly as possible. The sooner we can get my plan underway the better.

Alright, I'll give it my best shot…Shit! Ryo's link with the Kai was snapped, when Yamu's fist slipped through his defenses and got him in the face. Yamu followed up with a flurry of kick's and punches, sending Ryo crashing to the ground. The boy flipped over twice, nearly landing on his head before slowly teetering to the ground. He groaned softly as he sat up, and shook the cobwebs out of his head.

I told you to look intimidating, not to get knocked on your rear end Ryo could've sworn he heard the Supreme Kai grin.

I'm sorry, but I was a bit distracted! Could you please stop that until the fight's over?  


Oh, yes of course! Sorry about that.

"He's down again! Damn it, I knew this was going to happen!" Videl growled from the waiting area. "I told him not to go out there, but no! Men have to be so stubborn!"

"He, hey, hey! Whose the one who kept getting up every time Spopovitch slammed you to the ground?" Gohan reminded her. "I didn't see you backing down an inch, so who are you calling stubborn?"

"I get your point!" Videl frowned. "Look, I'm just worried okay… I don't want to sit through another one of these! Every time Yamu hits him, I see Spopovitch clobbering on me…"

Gohan's brow furrowed, then he put a comforting hand on Videl's shoulder. "Don't you worry about that. Spopovitch is going to get what's coming to him, and don't worry so much about Ryo. I don't know what the hell he's doing in there right now, but he'll be fine. Look, he's already getting back up."

"That's what I was afraid of…"

Yamu snickered, as Ryo pulled himself up to his feet. "Well boy, I'm beginning to think you're all talk."

"Good, the advantage goes to me then," Ryo smirked, trying his best to follow the Supreme Kai's wishes. Apparently it worked for Yamu's grin quickly faded.

"We will see about that!" Yamu roared, and threw a right at Ryo's face. Ryo was ready this time, and caught Yamu's fist just centimeters away from making contact with his face. Yamu's eyes widened a bit in shock. "What the?…"

"Sorry I don't have time to play, but I have to make this quick. I've got things to do, and spaceships to blow up. You know the drill."

Before Yamu could retort Ryo fired up his Ki, and went off on the bewildered warrior. Yamu managed to block a few blows in the beginning, but that only lasted about ten seconds before Ryo's hands and feet started to pummel him. Yamu staggered back groggily after his beating, only to get Ryo's foot underneath his chin a second later. Yamu's body rolled over once, and the Majin slave's head bounced off the ring like a cue ball hitting the corner on a billiard table. Yamu picked himself up slowly, but Ryo didn't waste any time waiting as the Kai had requested. He kicked Yamu in the gut, sending him sliding clear across the ring. Ryo expected him to slide right out of the ring, he sure kicked him hard enough, but Yamu surprised him by using his energy to push himself up in the air. Yamu snarled, and fired an energy blast Ryo's way thinking he'd catch the young warrior off guard. Ryo just smiled, and swatted the thing away back towards Yamu. The man's eyes widened in shock, and he barely managed to move out of the way of his own attack.

"There he goes!" Gohan said, as Ryo finally appeared to have woken up.

"Don't get too excited yet," Videl mumbled. "Remember what Spopovitch did to me?! I thought I was winning for a while too, and boy did I get a surprise!" She got another surprise as she watched Yamu sail across the ring, and yet another when she saw Ryo swat Yamu's Ki blast right back at him. "What the hell?! How did he do that?!"  


Vegeta humphed. "Get a hold of yourself girl! It wasn't even that strong of an attack. Just because it would've incinerated a weakling like you…"

"Excuse me!" Videl's head snapped around, wearing a menacing glare. Luckily for her, Gohan grabbed her and turned her back towards the ring before she could manage to provoke the Prince of the Sayians. 

"Just ignore him Videl. The rest of us have learned too…"

"Yeah whatever," Videl grumbled, then looked back out at the ring to see that Yamu and Ryo were now fighting in midair. "Kami… Maybe he can win this thing?"

"He most certainly can," the Supreme Kai said, as he stepped a little ways out of the waiting area so he was in front of the other fighters. 

"Umm… Excuse me Supreme Kai, but I'm kind of interested in knowing what you told Ryo to say to Yamu," Goku spoke up. "Not to mention what on Earth you are… Well, doing on Earth, and why you're so interested in Yamu and Spopovitch. I can only imagine it must be important for you to travel to our little planet."

"You'll know soon enough!" Kibito answered for Shin sternly. "Until then, just be patient."

"Now, now Kibito, I think we've kept them in suspense long enough," Shin denounced his servants comment. "Besides, now is as good a time as any. Listen closely because what I'm about to tell you all is very important. It's not Yamu and Spopovitch I'm interested in per say, but the wizard controlling them. His name is Babadi, and he's hell bent on releasing an evil monster that will rip this planet and the entire universe to shreds if he isn't stopped. He has a spaceship hidden somewhere on Earth. I've been communicating with Ryo telepathically, telling him exactly what I want him to say to Yamu. I want to make Yamu think we already know where Babadi's hiding, and that we're ready to attack him at a moment's notice… If Ryo succeeds in convincing Yamu that he's speaking the truth, then I'm hoping after this match concludes…"

Piccolo answered for him, as he pieced together the Kai's intentions. "That he'll fly off to warn his master, and lead you right to his hideout?"

"Exactly," Shin smirked. "I was planning on following them after they stole Gohan's energy, who I believe was the person they were looking for. However, that all changed when Goku and Gohan wound up facing each other in the first round. I suppose Babadi's henchmen caught a case of the limber tails when they witnessed all that power floating around in the ring. They obviously aren't the brightest stars in the night sky, but they aren't foolish enough to rush two Super Sayians head on."

Vegeta snickered at this. "Naturally."

"I would appreciate it greatly if you and your friends accompanied me Goku. I could you use all of your help. This isn't your average walk in the park villain I'm speaking of here."

"Sure I'll go along," Goku accepted the Kai's offer. "I still have a few hours before my times up, and if it's that important…"

"Trust me it is, and a few hours is all we'll need," Shin grinned confidently. "We'll leave as soon as this match is completed… Speaking of witch…"

Ryo was engaged in a mid-air martial arms display with Yamu when Shin's voice suddenly popped back into his head. So suddenly, Ryo almost got clobbered in the process. Ryo, if you're through playing around you can finish this thing any time now. We have more important matters to tend to.

I'm trying! I'd ask him to kindly hold still so I can knock him to the ground, but I don't think he's going to comply!

Don't be ridiculous Ryo, you can win this thing whenever you want. Just use your power, and try your best not to kill him. That would be a real inconvenience to my plan, and I don't have a plan C to turn to at the moment.

Gee, thanks for the advice… Well, here goes nothing.

Ryo caught Yamu's arm, as it rocketed towards his head. He smiled a bit as he looked into Yamu's wide eyes. "Well, it's been fun, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to finish this. I'll tell Babadi hello for you when we're tarring his spaceship apart. Later Yamu."

Yamu grunted in desperation as Ryo's leg spun around, and his foot connected with Yamu's chest violently. A panicked look only an anime character could make was plastered all over his face as he sped towards the ground.

A string of snot hung from Hercule's nose, and his mouth hung open wide as he watched the mid-air collision with Ryo and Yamu. "This isn't possible! They're flying… And that guy just did one of those trick thingy's those guys from the Cell Games used, and that kid just swatted it away like a paper wad! Who are these guys?!"

Hercule wouldn't have long to ponder that thought as he was currently watching Ryo kick Yamu in the chest, sending him spiraling towards the ground… Aimed directly for the spot Hercule was standing. Hercule screamed, and darted out of the way just in time for Yamu to whiz right past him. However, Yamu didn't miss Hercule's chair as he crashed into it, reducing it to splinters.

Hercule scrambled up to his feet, and stared in horror at the wreckage of his beloved throne. "You idiot, you wrecked my chair! Do you have any idea how much that thing cost, you're paying for it you know?!"

Hercule backpedaled a bit when Yamu suddenly sat up. He had assumed the man had been knocked cold after a fall like that. Yamu shook his head, and jumped to his feet looking a bit on the panicky side. "Master Babadi!"

"And there you have it folks!" the MC announced. "Yamu has landed out of the ring, and boy did he ever, and that makes Ryo our winner!"

"Spopovitch!" Yamu panted, as he rushed over towards his partner. Spopovitch looked to be in complete shock over his friend's lose. 

"What happened?"

"Don't worry about that! Look, I have to leave, and warn master Babadi! That boy is threatening to attack the ship at any moment, and I'm not taking any chances! You stay here, and try to steal that boy's energy when you fight him while I go warn the master okay?"

Spopovitch nodded his head warily. "Uh-huh…"

"I can't believe my…" Videl stammered, starring at Ryo as he glided down to the ring slowly. He looked rather embarrassed by the crowd's applause. "He won!"

"There he goes!" Shin shrieked, when he saw Yamu flying off in the distance. "I must follow after him. The rest of you are welcome to join me if you wish. Gohan, Vegeta, Eighteen, I do not expect you three to follow seeing as you still have matches left ahead in the tournament. I'd rather you stay here and keep an eye, and possibly a fist if necessary, on the four other characters still remaining. They could pose a threat to everybody in this building. You are welcome to join us too after your business here is concluded. I've already relayed the message to Ryo, so don't worry yourselves with informing him. Now, how about the rest of you? Shall you join me?"

"I'm game," Goku replied.

"I guess I'll go along too," Piccolo agreed as well. "If you say it's important, then I shouldn't doubt the Supreme Kai's word."

Shin's gaze shifted to Krillen causing him to sweat drop. "Me too? Well I don't know, danger and I don't get along well if you know what I mean… He, he." Krillen looked up towards his wife for her opinion.

"Go ahead Krillen, they might need you," she answered quickly. "Just be careful. I don't want to have to bring you back from the dead twice in one day."

"Okay then… I guess I'll join you."

Shin smiled, and braced himself to take off. "Excellent. Now if you all will, let's get on our way before Yamu can put any more distance in between us and himself."

"Alright… I guess this Buu creature you mentioned must be pretty powerful huh?" 

"More powerful then you could imagine Goku," Shin responded. Videl didn't appear all that worried, and wondered why everybody else was. 

"Why do you all look so serious anyway? It doesn't matter how strong this monster might be, I'm sure he's still not as strong as my dad."

A collective groan could be heard from all the Z-senshi. Piccolo's head turned around towards Gohan's ear, and he whispered low so Videl wouldn't hear him. "Gohan, for all of our sakes please tell her the truth soon. This is getting irritating."

"What?!" Videl demanded, noting the almost surly and *yeah right* type of demeanors they all showed after her comment. Of course Videl wouldn't get an answer as Shin and company abruptly took to the air.

"Hey, where are they going?!" Hercule gaped as he stared after the group of fighters flying out of the arena. "And how the hell are they flying like that?!"

"I don't know, but they've been doing it all day," one of the monks told him.

"They have huh? Well, it must be some sort of trick of something… I'm an expert when it comes to this stuff, so I'll figure it all out eventually." Hercule turned around to see a pile of splinters resting on the ground, and a teardrop rolled down his cheek. "My chair…"

Gohan waved to his father as he, Shin, Kibito, Piccolo, and Krillen flew off after Yamu. The second they were relativity alone, Videl immediately barked at Gohan. "So tell me something Gohan! What exactly did Shin mean when he said he was communicating telepathically with Ryo? Can he do that with everybody?"

Gohan sweat dropped more at the demanding tone in her voice, and equally demanding look on her face, rather than the question itself. "Well… To be honest with you no, just Ryo as far as I know…"

"But how?! Do you know that too, or can you not tell me that much either?!"

"No, I'm sorry I can't! I promised Ryo I wouldn't tell anybody…"

"So, you do know?!" Videl growled. "So that means Ryo's told you, but of course he's never shared any of that with me! Well, it's nice to see you guys can be so personal with each other! Let's me know where I stand I guess!"

  
"No, it's nothing like that Videl! The situations just… Complicated…"

"Is that the best you can come up with?! Tell me something Gohan, does Ryo know all about the Gold Fighter thing?"

Gohan sweat dropped again, and blushed. "Well… Yes, but…"

"Why am I not surprised?!" Videl blurted out before Gohan even had a chance to explain himself. "I bet he knows all about you being part alien, and all that other crap too doesn't he?!"

"Well I…" Gohan's face recoiled in horror when he processed just what she had just said. "What, wha… Wait a second! How the hell did you know about that?!"

Videl blushed at first when Gohan pointed out that she had let that little fact slip loose. She was quiet a few seconds before folding her arms across her chest, turning to face the ring, closing her eyes, and smiling a sly devilish smile. "I'll tell you later."

Gohan looked at her as if she had grown a second head. "What?! But that's not fair…"

"No it isn't! Now you know how I feel!" Videl retorted. "Well, let's just put it this way! Until you tell me everything I want to know, then I'm not telling you what you want to know."

"Fine…" Gohan sighed, and hung his head. "Look… Just for the record, I didn't tell Ryo anything about me if that makes you feel any better. He found out everything about me on his own, I didn't have to tell him a thing. Otherwise, he'd know less about me than you do.

"And how is that possible?!"

"Through his little secret," Gohan said flatly. "You'll have to ask him about that."

"Okay then, I think I will," Videl responded coolly.

Just as their conversation had seemed to have ended, Ryo picked that inopportune time to reenter the scene as he walked up behind them. "Hey guy's, what's up?"

Gohan turned to his friend and smiled. "Hey Ryo. Nice fight, you really laid it into that guy."

Ryo dismissed the issue with a shrug of his shoulders. "Ah, it wasn't nothing. What's going on over here? It sounded like you guys were arguing over something just a second ago."

"Oh, that wasn't nothing," Gohan moaned. "Videl's still mad at me because I haven't told her my story yet, and she's even angrier at me now because you know and she doesn't."

"No, I'm just fine with it," Videl said softly. "I'll be patient just this once, and wait until tonight for you tell me your story. I promised I'd wait until you were ready anyway."

"Good for you Videl! It's good to see you acting reasonable for a change. It show's you're…" Ryo was cut off when Videl grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, and pulled him down to eye level with her.

"Reasonable my ass!" Videl growled into his face, causing his eyes to widen, and a bead of sweat to drip down the side of his face. "As far as you go, I've agreed to nothing! First of all, you're going to tell me what the hell Shin meant about all this speaking to you telepathically crap, and you're going to tell me just where you learned to fight like that?! I want to know, and I want to know now, got me?!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, Videl!" Ryo stammered nervously. He wiggled his way out of Videl's grasp, and backpedaled. She had that look on her face. That deep frown that said she wanted something, and she wasn't going to give up until she got it. "I'll tell you in a minute… Right now I really need to use the bathroom…" 

"Don't give me that crap!" Videl barked, as she advanced on him. Ryo promptly whirled around, and sped off forcing Videl to run after him. "Get back here you little weasel! You're not getting out of this that easy!"

Gohan sighed, and shook his head as his friends disappeared through the back exit. "Oh well… At least that will get her off of my back for a while…"

"Your attention please fans!" the MC's voice sang into the microphone. "Now that all the confusion seems to have been taken care of, let's keep the tournament moving along! Our next match is Eighteen vs. Rain!"

Eighteen had just finished snapping a white glove over her hand when the MC called her name. She snorted and headed off to the entryway, with Vegeta staring after her as she went, a smirk on his face. He knew that look she was wearing. It was one worthy of Sayian, plus he had a general idea of what she had planned. The woman must be even more pissed off then I thought. This should prove amusing…

"Good luck Eighteen," Gohan wished her, as she blurred past him.

"I don't need any luck. This won't take me long."

"What are the gloves for?!" Gohan called after her.

"I don't want to get my hands dirty!"

Eighteen examined her opponent as he trotted up next to her. He was a short man, about Vegeta's height, and looked to have an average build underneath his Gi. He had his arms crossed, and kept his eyes closed the entire walk to the ring. She hadn't the foggiest idea as to what the meaning of a green Gi was for the Ray Lien, but she didn't give a monkey's ass at the moment. She wasn't even aware of the MC's introductions as they made their way to the ring.

  
"Eighteen is a newcomer to the Tenkaichi, but we do know that she's Krillen wife, and backs quite a punch as Hail found out earlier. Rain is also a little known newcomer who doesn't speak all that much. Judging based off the similar attire, and the fact that he's been seen exclusively with Hail throughout much of the day's events, it's probably safe to say that these two fighters have some sort of link with each other. That's an interesting note considering Hail nearly killed Eighteen's husband in the ring two bouts back."

Eighteen and Rain strolled into the ring causally, and faced each other. Rain finally opened his eyes, and bowed towards his opponent. Eighteen sneered, and crossed her arms. "You know I'm still steamed about what your buddy tried to do with my husband not to long ago."

"I can imagine," Rain said softly, muttering his first words that entire day. "Hail does tend to get carried away, but if you have a problem I suggest you take it up with him."

  
"Maybe I will, but the bad part is that I might not get the chance to fight him later on… So, that means I'm going to have to take my frustrations out on you."

Rain snickered at this and shut his eyes. "Do what you must, or you can at least try to that is. Now let's begin!"

Rain swung for Eighteen's face, but to his shock, she grabbed him by the arm and spun him around. She held both of his arms behind his back, and began to power up. Rain could feel a surge of energy soar through his body, alerting him to what she had in store for him. He looked absolutely mortified as he feebly muttered out. "What are you doing?!…"

"This is a little trick my creator installed into my programming for when I needed to dispose of enemies quickly. It's rather messy, but it gets the job done." Eighteen smiled wickedly, as she summoned more power up into her fist.

"But, but…" Rain's eyes began to bugle out of his head, but it wasn't from shock or surprise. "You can't do this! You'll…"

"Spare me your whining! I have more important things to worry about then you. I want to see just what this Majin Buu thing is, and frankly you're just wasting my time! Good bye Rain!" Eighteen let go of Rain's arm, and reared her fist back. She drove it right into the small of the ninja's back, and held it there sending a surge of Ki shooting through Rain's body. His body shook and illuminated in a bright flash of blue and white before finally, the overflow of energy combusted with one loud bang, reducing Rain into nothing more then tiny dust particles floating around in the air.

"Oh my word…" the MC stuttered, after watching Rain get blown into bits.

Eighteen dusted off her hands, and grunted indifferently. "I guess this means I'm disqualified huh?" The MC nodded his head nervously. Eighteen didn't say another word, and took flight heading off in the direction she had watched Goku and the others fly off in.

"What did she do that for?!" Gohan gaped, still staring wide-eyed at what Eighteen had just done.

Vegeta humphed and pressed his back against the wall. "If I trip over a kidney or something during my next match I'm not going to be happy!"

"No! Really, you're a psychic?!" Videl asked with wide eyes. "You expect me to believe that?!"

"Yes, because it's true Videl. Remember how I kind of crept you out a bit when we first met because I knew so many details about you, you thought I shouldn't know? Well, that's how I knew. I had a lot of visions about you before we ever even met," Ryo explained. "It was the exact same scenario with Gohan. He didn't actually tell me much of anything about himself, I knew most of it before I even met him. If you were feeling left out because you thought he was telling his secrets to me, and not you then you were upset over virtually nothing Videl. I know you're frustrated at not knowing what's going on, but there's really no point in feeling that way. It's nothing personal that Gohan's feeling against you."

"I know! It's not even that that really bothers me… It runs deeper then that…" Videl blushed ever so slightly, and turned her head away from Ryo.

"You can tell me Videl. Like I've told you before, nobody else is ever going to know."

"You should know already shouldn't you?!" Videl snapped, somewhat irritably. "You just claimed you were psychic didn't you?!"

"I can see events as they might occur in the future Videl," Ryo jeered in response to her tone of voice. "I can't see emotions or thoughts or anything like that. Come on Videl, it's only fair. You just forced half of my life story out of me."

Videl's blush deepened, as she seriously thought the matter over. She wasn't comfortable with talking about things like this to anyone, but there was something trusting and comforting about Ryo that made it easier for her to talk to him about things she wouldn't dare say to anyone else. A very similar air to the one that surrounded Gohan actually, but with one important difference. When Videl looked at Ryo she didn't have to face her feelings like she did with Gohan. The one thing she ever faced in her life that remotely scared her. Besides, he was more likely to understand her when most others wouldn't. He had problems with his own relationship, so he was more likely to understand what she was going through rather then ridicule or look down at her for it. "It's just… I'm just not happy with where I stand in his eyes right now… I don't want to be the one person he keeps in the dark when something major happens in his life. I want to be the one person he can always turn to when something like that happens. I want to understand him, that's all I really want… I want him to trust me like he does you or Piccolo…"

"In other words, you want to be his better half?"

Videl's nose scrounged up slightly at this reference. "You're being a little overdramatic aren't you? Or just jumping the gun maybe, but if you want to put it that way then yes. I feel so shut out right now… Like I'm just a nuisance that's in his way or something, or just a little blot spreading across a much bigger picture that's threatening to ruin the entire painting."

"Nice analogy, but that's not true at all Videl. Gohan wants to open up to you, he really does, but he's afraid of what you might think of him afterwards. It's not because he doesn't trust you, it's not because he thinks you'd get in the way, and it's absolutely not because he doesn't care about you! He's doesn't want to taint his image in your eyes, that's all it is Videl, I swear."

"But that's stupid!" Videl barked, a disgusted look spreading over her face. "He should know me better then that by now! I don't care if he is half-alien, or French, or whatever the hell he is! That doesn't matter to me! I just want…"

"Hold up a second!" Ryo cut her off, still stuck on the part where she said he was half-alien. "How did you know about that?!"

"About what?!" Videl frowned at first, but blushed when she realized what she'd said. "Oh, you mean about Gohan being Sayian… I heard Vegeta mention it while he and Goku were fighting."

"Yeah, but how did you know that it was a reference to an alien race, let alone Gohan was half Sayian?!"

Videl blushed again, but smiled remembering word for word Gohan's little speech an hour or so back. "Gohan told me… Back in the hospital room, after Spopovitch beat the hell out of me. He thought I was still unconscious, and pretty much spilled his heart out to me. He mentioned he was half-alien, and that he… Well, he mentioned how he felt about me…"

"So, I see. And the fact that he's half-alien doesn't bother you at all?"

"Of course not! I…" Videl's grimace softened, and she practically whispered as she continued on. "I… I love him…"

Ryo's grin spread from ear to ear. "I thought as much. I told him he was crazy for worrying. It is kind of funny that the only way he could manage to tell you all that was when he thought you were out cold. I don't have any room to talk I guess, the only way I could probably tell Amy how I feel was if she was a corpse or something…"

A small grin formed on Videl's face, before recalling something else he had said. "He also mentioned something about Cell… I'm not sure what he meant but…"

Ryo's expression grew serious. "Yeah, well I do… And just to warn you, you probably won't like what you're going to hear."

Videl wasn't about to argue with him. Deep down in her heart she already knew. "My dad… He didn't really defeat Cell did he?"

"No," Ryo said flatly.

"I always had a feeling…" Videl sighed. "He would always get kind of tense whenever I asked him about just how he defeated something as powerful as Cell…I always thought something was up but… If my Dad didn't defeat Cell, then who did?"

"Ask your boyfriend, he'll be able to tell you," Ryo said with an evil smile.

"He's not my boyfriend!" Videl snarled unconvincingly. Ryo gave her the appropriate *bullshit* look in response, letting her know he wasn't buying it, and Videl quickly changed her story. "Yet, okay… I'm still working on it."

"Funny, where have I heard that before? 

"I'm not even going to ask you what that meant," Videl smiled. "By the way… I'm sorry… You looked really good in that ring today…"

"Don't worry about it, I get that all the time." Ryo dismissed the subject with a wave of his hand. "It works out to my advantage more times then not. Besides, it's fun to see the looks on some of these punks' faces when they find out I can beat the stuffing out of them. It feels just as good to prove your doubters wrong, as it does to prove the people who believe in you right."

"I guess I can understand that… Thanks for listening I guess. I suppose this is a situation where most girls my age have their mother of girlfriends to talk to, but you seem to work out just fine."

Ryo's brow twitched upward. "Wait a second, are you calling me a woman now?"

"Are you ever going to grow up?" Videl giggled.

"Maybe later. If we're through here, I want to get back down to the arena. I want to know what that explosion we heard was all about."

"Yeah, not to mention my dad's match is next! Now you're going to see a real champ in action!"

Ryo grimaced as they headed back towards the arena. Did she say in action, or put in traction?

"What was that look for?"

"Oh, it's nothing Videl. We better be getting back. I'm sure Gohan's missing you already!"

End.

-Whew! I can't believe I fit that all in one chapter! Well, I'd like to thank again everyone whose read and reviewed this story. I've had a very rough month of May, and it was very uplifting to open up my mailbox every couple of weeks to find all that praise staring back at me. I don't think I deserve it, but apparently I'm doing something right. I also appreciate when readers point out any major mistakes I make along the way, as long as their not being an ass about it anyway. Luckily, I haven't run into that problem yet. Hey, it's the only way I'm going to learn. I've taken a lot of risks with this story, Ryo being the most obvious and blatant of them, and I will be taking a few more down the road. For example, I'm going to do something in the next chapter that's going to piss some of you readers off, but I think you can live with it. I'm sorry, but it has to be done move along the flow of the tournament the way I want it to run. (Don't worry it's not what you're thinking… Maybe…)

__

Preview of Chapter 18! Following the completion of the first round, the quarterfinals begin! (Hears the well duh's filling up cyberspace) Vegeta will test his Sayian abilities against Taro, while Spopovitch has to step into the ring with a very unhappy Gohan. On top of that I promise I'll try my best to find yet another way to poke fun at everybody's favorite superhero fraud Hercule. I'll have to admit I kind of like the guy… He makes such a sweet punching bag! I wonder if he's still kind of tender down there?


	18. Chapter 18

Disclaimer: Don't own DBZ.

Chapter 18

"Seeing as Kibito has left the arena, and isn't present at the scheduled time of his match he is automatically disqualified. That makes Hercule the winner by default, and our eight and final fighter to advance into the quarterfinals!"

YAH! HAR! GWAR!" Hercule roared as he posed in the ring for the fans. The response he was receiving was deafening, and would've been overwhelming to any other fighter with any sort of conscious what so ever. "I've got them on the run now! They're not even brave enough to get in the ring with me! I've got this tournament locked in the bag!"

"What is that fool doing?!" Vegeta growled in disgust as he subjected himself to witnessing Hercule's display. "I don't know what makes me more sick! This cowardly fraud, or these idiot people who actually think a weakling like that could actually kill a monster like Cell! Does that fool have no shame?! He didn't even have to fight a match, and he's still celebrating!"

"I don't know…" Gohan sweat dropped, as Hercule began to flex his muscles. "But I'd hate to see the way he reacts when he actually wins one…"

"You should be worrying less about what that moronic human is doing, and keep your focus on me!"

Vegeta sneered, and turned his head to stare at Taro's hideous face. "Don't worry, I'll keep my focus on you when the time comes! So until then, spare me your dramatics! We'll be in that ring soon enough, so why don't you wait and get the beating of your life then?! 

"Hey Gohan, what's going on?" Videl asked, as she and Ryo wandered back into the waiting room. 

"Oh nothing... Taro, and Vegeta are getting ready to fight, that's all."

"Already?" Videl asked, looking confused. "What happened with the other two fights?! That was kind of quick wasn't it? We were only gone about ten minutes!"

"Well, your dad won by default. Remember that Kibito took off with Shin and the others… As for Eighteens match, let's just say she went out with a bang…"

Videl gave Gohan a funny look, as the MC prepared himself to call the start of the quarterfinals. "Now that the first round is complete, then the fighting for the quarterfinals will begin immediately! Our first match will feature Taro vs. Vegeta!"

Vegeta smirked as did Taro from where he stood towards the back of the waiting room. Vegeta stepped out onto the walkway, and waited for his opponent. All those hours of waiting would finally culminate into an actual battle, and from the looks of things this Taro might actually be worth fighting, making the fact it was finally his time to shine all that much more worth while. Both fighters exchanged a smirk as they started on their way towards the ring.

"You sure look cocky little man," Taro jeered. "I pray that you have good reason."

"You'll find out soon enough. You know they have a custom here on Earth. They usually pound their beef to tenderize it before it's processed. If you're not careful you might wind up on somebody's dinner table after I'm through with you!"

"As you can see I'm quivering."

"Do what you want," Vegeta said casually. "I don't care what you do as long as you're lying still on the ground when I'm through with you!"

"Both of these fighters took very different routes to get to the quarterfinals," the MC continued. "Taro scored a rather aggressive victory over Piccolo in the first match, while Vegeta didn't even have to throw a punch as he won via Shin's surprising forfeit. Tension has been building between these two ever since they discovered they'd meet in the second round, but they've patiently waited to take it all out in the ring! Now, when ever the fighters are ready you may begin!"

With the introductions done, the two combatants gawked at each other from across the ring, the same smirk still smudged across their faces. It was a brief war of wills, as Taro soon broke the silence. "Well little man, are you ready? Don't tell me that's all the power you have? This isn't going to be much of a bout, unless you're hiding something from me."  
  
Vegeta's grin widened as his eyes closed, then slowly opened again. He had to admit, this bullheaded monstrosity was strong. To strong for him to risk going at him in his regular form. So why not give the ugly fool what he wanted? "You want to see power horn head? I'll show you power! You're about to realize the true strength of the legendary Super Sayian!"

"Super Sayian?" Taro's brow would've twitched if he had one. "You mean that old myth of the Sayian race? Oh, I get it now! Vegeta… I knew that name seemed rather odd for a human. You must be the boy prince of that dead planet as I recall. I see you managed to escape the downfall of the rest of your pathetic race hey?"

Vegeta snarled, as he began to focus his energy. "My planet may be dead, but my race isn't! Even if it is deluded somewhat, Sayian blood still pumps through the veins of my myself, my son, and Kakarott's children! As you're about to witness, Sayians are far from pathetic! Now I'm going to make you wish you never opened your fat mouth, you overgrown slab of beef!"

Vegeta let out a howl as his body ascended to the level of Super Sayian. Taro's eyes widened at the little man who was now surrounded in a golden light, but that air of surprise quickly faded back to one of sheer arrogance. "Oh my, so that's a Super Sayian? I guess that boy and his father who fought a while ago must've been Sayian's as well hey? Well, that light show is a charming little trick, but I'm afraid it's going to take more than that to defeat me."

"I'm sure of that," Vegeta grinned. "But I've got everything I need!"

With another growl Vegeta charged Taro, and the battle was joined. The ultra fast pace began with a flurry of punches and kicks, each fighter taking turns blocking or dodging the other's attacks. Though the majority of the crowd was hard pressed to make out much of anything, feet and fists were flying with malice intent regardless. 

"No way!" Videl's eyes widened, as she watched Vegeta go super. "Vegeta can turn into a Gold Fighter too?!"

"Well, Trunks did it earlier, and Vegeta's his father so why not?" Gohan put it simply.

Videl gave Gohan a questioning look. "And you're positive I can't learn to do that?"

"No, you can't Videl," Gohan chuckled, and rolled his eyes. "As I discovered earlier, you know I'm half-alien, and this is something only my race can achieve."

"I see…" Videl turned her focus back to the ring, satisfied with Gohan's answer. Hell, of course she was satisfied, it was the first straight answer she'd gotten from him in two days. "Damn it! I can't see anything that's going on again! Somebody tell them to slow down!"

Almost as if he were answering her and the crowd's pleas, Taro came staggering out of the fray and dropped down to one knee. He rubbed underneath his chin, and grumbled. "Damn! He's a lot stronger then I thought… This isn't going to be as easy as I first believed…"

"You better believe it! Now here I come horn head!" Taro braced himself, and caught Vegeta's wrists as he charged into him. Taro sneered, and reared his head back, planning to head butt Vegeta right between the eyes. The Super Sayian gave a sneer of his own, and moved his head out of the way while prying himself free from Taro's grasp. Vegeta drove his fist into the back of Taro's skull, sending the big brut face first into the ground. Vegeta scooped him up after he pulled himself up to his knees, and slammed him down hard to the ground making yet another dent in the ring tile. Vegeta humphed as he stared down at his fallen opponent. "Get up you fool! Can't you do better then this?! I was hoping for a little sport!"

"So you want sport then huh?" Taro asked, as he pushed himself up. "Fine. I'm through playing games then. Let me show you my real power!" Taro drug his foot across the ring floor, and summoned up some of his power. "SHADOW HORNS!"

Vegeta looked indifferent, that was until Taro came speeding in like a bullet smashing directly into his gut. Vegeta hadn't even the time to blink, let alone defend himself. Vegeta folded over towards his knees, as sweat and spit spewed from his face and mouth. Taro crushed the Sayian Prince in the back with a double axe handle, and he went plopping to the ground. Vegeta sprung back up like a cat, jumping right into a gale of Taro's fists. Taro pounded on the smaller man, about half his own size, knocking him towards the edge of the ring. Vegeta wiped a trail of blood off his mouth, and growled in Taro's direction. "Are you trying to embarrass me you freak?!"

Vegeta hammered Taro right in the face with his fist, knocking his grin right off of it. Taro snarled, and the two combatants went at it again. They spent the better part of the next ten minutes knocking the stuffing out of each other, neither one of them seemingly able to gain any ground. Somewhere along the way, the battle took to the air where Taro appeared to have the advantage for a while. Taro head butted Vegeta towards the ground, wrapping his arms around the man from behind when he tried to shoot back up. Vegeta tried desperately to power out of Taro's bear hug, and finally succeeded with a mighty flare of his energy. Taro growled in frustration, completely lost for a reason why he was having so much difficulty warring this man down. Vegeta didn't even appear winded in the least.

"What are you staring at?!" Vegeta followed up with a punch to the face. Vegeta followed him down firing punches that Taro barely blocked, as they floated down towards the ground. Finally, Vegeta buried his fist into Taro's face, sending the big bull crashing towards the ring floor again. Taro picked himself up slowly, and when he did immediately received a spear from mid-air, as Vegeta crashed into him. Both men got up relatively quick, but Vegeta played the aggressor against the weakening Taro. He began to pummel him, possibly firing a hundred punches at one time that all landed on their target flush. Taro staggered around again, and with one last blow to the jaw was back on the floor. Taro pulled himself up again just asking for another beat down, and Vegeta was more then happy to give it to him. Vegeta knocked Taro around some more, but shortly afterward the monster was back down on his back. 

"Humph! Do you enjoy wasting my time or do you have something more to offer?" Vegeta snickered, as Taro struggled to his knees again. "You look kind of shaken down there horn head. Don't tell me your giving in already, or are you just scared?"

Taro's lips curved upward. "Why don't you look into my eyes, and tell me just how afraid I look?"

Vegeta smirked, and decided to humor his broken adversary. He looked straight into Taro's beady red eyes, expecting to see nothing more then the puffy pupils of a fool too stubborn to give up. Instead, he saw a mischievous grin, right before his eyes flashed red. Vegeta wanted to laugh at this, for a second that was, before his eyes started to burn. It was only a minor irritation at first, but within a matter of seconds Vegeta wondered if his very retinas were on fire. With a growl, Vegeta hit his knees trying desperately to rub the fire out of his eyes. "My eyes! What the hell did you?!…"

Vegeta did demand a response, but noticed something as he listened to the crowd... He noticed he couldn't hear them. He doubted they were all stunned into silence from the Prince dropping to his knees and grabbing his face, so that could only mean… Vegeta stood up, and opened his eyes slowly, fearing what they'd see. He saw exactly what he had feared he would. Absolutely nothing. He was now completely blind, and deaf. Vegeta was knocked back into reality when Taro slammed his head into the Prince's back. Vegeta wasn't prepared for it, and hit the ground hard. Vegeta made it back to his feet slowly, and now it was Taro's turn to pound on him. All Vegeta could manage to do was keep his Ki up to prevent himself from being dismembered. He tried to throw a punch now and then, but they all missed horribly. Taro laughed in satisfaction, literally on occasion, slapping Vegeta around a bit before ramming him face first to the ring again. 

Vegeta pushed himself up to knees slowly, and stayed that way for a moment. He couldn't see Taro… He couldn't hear him coming up from behind him, nor could he smell that putrid odor he'd been admitting on a plus note. So, he would have to rely on the one sense he had left, the only one Taro couldn't take away from him. His ability to sense other peoples energy. He waited patiently for Taro's Ki to get right on top of him, pretending to be further out of it then he actually was. He was betting Taro would probably be too busy basking in the glory of the beating he'd just given Vegeta to press his attack right away. Of course, Vegeta was right. Taro circled around Vegeta cockily, as Vegeta balled up his fist waiting for the right moment. He locked into Taro's Ki, and drove his fist towards the spot he felt him in, connecting hard with Taro's midsection. Taro doubled over in shock and pain, and staggered backwards. The blind warrior leapt towards the source of the Ki, and attacked Taro rapidly, refusing to give his opponent one second to regain the advantage.

"This is impossible, I know I've blinded you!" Taro snarled, as he tried to block Vegeta's flurry. Of course, Vegeta couldn't hear him, so he didn't answer. Taro realized his attack had worked, when he noticed many of Vegeta's attacks were way off target. Taro smiled realizing Vegeta must've been feeding off of some instinct driving him to press forward. The monster put his theory to the test, and side stepped out of Vegeta's way. Sure enough, Vegeta floated right through, punching wildly at empty space. Vegeta quickly picked up on this however, paused a moment, and came right back at Taro. Taro sidestepped him again, but this time made sure to take advantage of the situation. As soon as Vegeta skidded past him, Taro charged up a Ki blast and shot it directly into Vegeta's back. Vegeta let out a blood-curling scream, as the blast ripped through him. A hole burned in the back of his Gi, and he fell to his hands and knees. Taro walked over to him casually, and drove his foot down into Vegeta's back, slamming his face down into the ground. Taro followed this up with several sickening head butts, driving his horned forehead repeatedly into Vegeta's back. Taro then charged up another ball of Ki like before, and shot it downward at Vegeta. The Prince's body trembled as the energy surged through him, until finally his body fell still.

"Oh goodness…" the MC gawked, a trickle of nervous sweat dripping from his brow. "It looks like Vegeta may be out of it now…"

"No, he's not finished," Taro announced gruffly. "This one's too powerful, I can beat on him all day, and he'd still get back up. I guess there's only one other way I can win this then, and I might as well take advantage now while he's incapacitated."

Taro pulled Vegeta up half way before coiling his hand around the Sayian's neck, and lifting him up off his feet holding him out at arm's length. Normally, Vegeta would've tore the arm right off of anybody who'd dare to try something like that on him, but in his weakened state any thought of that was impossible. "How does it feel to know you're mere seconds away from losing this battle Vegeta?"

What Vegeta had to say was simple, but difficult for him to chock the words out. "You know I would've won if I had just beaten you when I had the chance…"

"Perhaps, but we'll never know now will we? What do you have to say to that?"

Vegeta responded by spitting right between Taro's eyes. "You know the only good thing about being blind is that I don't have to look at that ugly smirk I know is on your hideous face right now!"

Taro growled at him, then smiled. "Goodbye Vegeta."

Taro pulled his arm back, let go of Vegeta's neck, and planted his fist right underneath Vegeta's chin. The mighty Prince of the Sayians flew backwards never once stopping until his back slammed against something hard, and then the unthinkable happened. Vegeta slid down, landing softly on the moist grass surrounding the ring. 

"And Vegeta has landed out of the ring! That makes Taro our winner!" The MC called it like he saw it, but some people still didn't believe it. 

Videl looked out disappointedly towards the ring, but when she shifted her head to both sides, the looks on her friend's faces said something much different. Both Gohan and Ryo had their mouths hanging open, staring out at the ring like they had just watched the red-sea part, or some other mind-boggling miracle occur. "What's up guys? What's with the pelican impersonations?!"

"He lost…" Ryo muttered stupidly. "How could he... What the hell is that thing?!"

"This isn't possible!" Gohan seconded Ryo's sentiment of surprise. "And I'm going to have to fight that guy next!"

"No way… There is no way…" Trunks stammered in utter disbelief. "There's no way my dad can lose! Something must be wrong! I'm going down there!"

"Hey Trunks, wait for me!" Goten called after him before flying off after his friend.

"Goten, you get back here this instant!" Chichi barked at her son, but he was already half way down to the ring area by then. The boys ignored Mrs. Son's calls as they flew towards Vegeta. "Damn that boy! He takes too much after his father if you ask me!"

"He lost…" Bulma muttered for about the tenth time in less then a minute. "How is that possible? He trains so hard…"

"It's kind of funny once you think about it," Roshi observed. "Just a few hours ago you two were arguing over if Vegeta or Goku were going to win the tournament, and it looks like neither one of them is even going to make it to the semifinals. Funny isn't it?"  


"NO, IT'S NOT FUNNY YOU DIRTY OLD MAN!" Bulma and Chichi yelled into Roshi's face simultaneously, knocking the elderly martial arts master out of his chair.

"Okay… Forget I said anything…"

"Dad, dad, are you okay?!" Trunks asked his father, as he landed next to him. Vegeta was rubbing his forehead as he was just coming to. He groaned when he saw Trunks. At least he'd gotten his sight and hearing back, but Trunks was the last person he wanted to see right then, aside from maybe Kakarott. Not after he just disgraced himself, his family, and his entire race.

"Don't touch me!" Vegeta growled, as he pulled his arm away from Trunks. The boy's eyes grew sad and wide, and Vegeta's face almost showed regret as he rose to his feet. "I'm fine boy, don't worry about me. Go tell your mother that for me. Right now I don't wish to be bothered… I have to handle my disgrace on my own…"

Trunks looked bewildered as he stared after his father. He looked over at Goten who had arrived with him, and the younger boy just shrugged his shoulders.

"What happened Vegeta?" Gohan asked, as Vegeta passed him. "You had that match in the bag, and suddenly you lose just like that?"

Surprisingly, Vegeta refrained from snapping at Gohan, or reacting any other way he'd become famous for. He just looked at the floor, and clenched his fist in frustration. "That bastard used some sort of tactic on me that affected my senses!… I was blind and deaf out there for the last few minutes of that match. Ironically, my senses seemed to be restored to me the second my ass hit the outside of the ring."

"So that's what happened?" Gohan said. "I knew something fishy had to be going on. You were too much in control of that fight, just to snowball like that so quickly. It just couldn't have been legit, you should've…"

"Stop that right now! I'm a Sayian warrior! I don't make excuses, and I don't sit around and cry over my defeats! I learn from them… I let my own self-confidence get the best of me… I should've finished him off when I had the chance, but then!… Then he pulled into his bag of tricks, and stole the advantage… My lose was deserved."

"Vegeta…" Gohan may have followed after him if it hadn't been for one important fact. Besides the fact that he was Vegeta, and that meant Gohan should stay away from him at all costs. He had a fight of his own that was coming up next, and he wasn't going to miss this for anything short of the end of the world. His expression grew serious, as the MC's voice rang over the microphone.

"Wow folks! What an amazing tournament so far hey? Now let's get on with our next match that features…" The MC frowned when he read the first name on the card, but smiled at the second. "Spopovitch vs. Gohan!"

"Spopovitch?!" Hercule growled, recognizing that name. "That's the creep that put Videl in the hospital! I'm going to show that overblown creampuff he can't mess with my daughter, and get away with it!"

"Sir, where are you going?!" One of the monks codling to his every need asked him. "Please calm yourself sir, you can't interfere with the match!… Oh why do I bother? He never listens!"

"Well, I guess it's time to get this over with," Gohan grinned. 

Videl's face grew tense, and she clutched Gohan by the arm. "Gohan!"

"What is it Videl?" Gohan asked, giving her his full attention. "Is there something you want to say?"

Gee I don't know. A whole lot of things, Videl thought to herself. Be careful, don't go out there, kick his butt, I love you, take care of yourself, don't do anything you'll regret for my sake, do I have to let go? All that and a whole lot more, but which one do I say?

"Videl is something wrong? I have to get out to the ring."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Videl said, crashing back into reality. "Look Gohan… There's still a part of me that's scared to death for you after what that creep did to me, and that doesn't like your chances. Yet there's another part of me that looks into you eyes, and wants to believe you can handle yourself out there. With everything that's been going on today, I'm just not sure which to believe. Please make a believer out of me Gohan."

"No problem Videl." Gohan's smile widened. He slipped his arm out of her clutches, with a slight bit of resistance from her. "I'm doing this one for you after all. That creep isn't going to know what hit him!"

"Yeah, but I think I know what Spopovitch is going to be hitting in a minute," Ryo jumped in abruptly. 

"Huh? What are you…" Gohan looked in the direction Ryo pointed, and saw Hercule stalking towards Spopovitch. "Uh oh… This isn't going to be pretty. I better get out there before he gets himself killed!"

Videl smirked, as Gohan ran off to intervene between her father and his next opponent. "Yeah right. He's probably just worried my dad will do the job before he gets a chance to."

Ryo rolled his eyes behind Videl's back, and muttered his breath. "Yeah right…"

"Hey Spopovitch!" Hercule growled, as he walked up to the man. Spopovitch turned his attention to him and grinned. "Don't look at me like that! So, you think what you did to my daughter in that ring was funny huh?! I'll show you the true meaning of being beaten within an inch of your life! Once a creampuff, always a creampuff! I don't care how big, or goofy looking you are now! I'll…"

Spopovitch practically laughed, and was about to say something in response when an exuberant Gohan, jumped in between them. "Whoa whoa! Calm down there guys! The fighting is supposed to be done in the ring, not out here on the grass! I know you two have issues, but you need to save them until you meet in the ring. Besides Hercule sir, I'm facing Spopovitch in this next match, so you'll just have to wait your turn."

"What?! Are you out of your mind?! Get out of my way kid!" Hercule tried to swat Gohan out of his way, but was shocked when Gohan didn't budge and inch. Hercule sweat dropped, grabbed Gohan by the sides of the arms, and tried to push him out of his way. He nearly fell out of his face he tried pulling so hard, and eventually lost his grip and was sent crashing down to his butt. Hercule quickly stood up, and shook it off like nothing had happened. Hercule sweat dropped again, and pointed over Gohan's shoulder towards Spopovitch. "You're lucky he's standing in my way, or I'd be pounding you into hamburger right now!"

"Whoa, save that adrenaline for your next match Mr. Satan! How about you just cool down, and leave this guy to me?"

"Are you nuts kids?! There's no way you can beat that guy! He pounded Videl into a pulp, and she's the second strongest person in the world next to me! What do you think a skinny runt like you is going to accomplish?! Get out of the way you punk, and let a real man handle this!"

Gohan wasn't sure if he wanted to laugh, or punch Mr. Satan in the face. He wisely did neither, and decided to lull the man towards his way of thinking. "I know how bad you want to get at him sir, but think about it this way. You're the World Champion, and these people are counting on you to put on a good show for them. You have to save your strength for the rest of the tournament. You'd hate to do something drastic, and get yourself disqualified for the rest of tournament now would you?"

"Well, you do have a point… I'd hate to disappoint my fans…"

"Besides, someone as strong as you can tare Spopovitch into pieces just like that! Why waste your energy?! You just stand back, and take a breather while I do your light work for you. You are the World Champ after all, and if Spopovitch is really that strong you'll wind up meeting him in the finals anyway."

"Yeah, you're right! I am the Champ aren't I?!" Hercule growled. The champ part was obviously the only thing he heard. "This is a matter that should be settled in the ring… Okay, have it your way then kid." 

Hercule wandered off to the side somewhere to bask in his own greatness leaving Gohan to wonder if the man even had a brain to think with. Gohan hadn't even gotten to the part he thought would get Hercule to back down, but oh well. Whatever worked to keep the big goof from getting his head beaten in. The MC, who had witnessed the entire display, pulled on his collar and cleared his throat. "Excuse me guys, but you can get in the ring and we can get this match started whenever you two are ready."

"Oh sure! Sorry about that." Gohan glared at Spopovitch, who simply smirked in response. Gohan ignored it, and walked into the ring with Spopovitch lumbering behind him. "I can barely wait to get started in fact."

"Excellent, that's the kind of attitude we need! Now let's get started!" The MC backed up a few feet, and hung his head down over the ring. He spoke softly in the direction of one of the monks at ringside. "You might want to get a stretcher ready just in case. We saw what Spopovitch did to Videl, so I don't like this skinny kids chances, Goku's son or not."

"I heard that," Gohan said, causing the blond man to pop back up nervously. "Forget the stretcher, you're going to need a fork lift to pry this big ox out of here after I get through with him."

Spopovitch chuckled slightly at the boy standing across from him. This is great! First I can have some fun with him then steal his energy. He doesn't look all that strong to me… I don't care what that stupid energy thingy said.

"Laugh all you want Spopovitch," Gohan said, shooting the big man a look only an angry Sayian was capable of. "While you can anyway. You aren't going to think things are so funny in about ten seconds!" Gohan growled, and began to power up.

Videl rubbed the top of her hand nervously. "Why hasn't he changed into the Gold Fighter?"

Ryo studied the Demi-Sayian, and concluded that Gohan had no intention to transform. It wasn't necessary after all, so why waste all that energy? "He probably wants to do this as Gohan. He went just about ballistic after watching Spopovitch pound on you, so I guess this is important to him."

Videl blushed on all counts. Was Gohan in this fight for himself, or more for her? "Do you really think he can beat him Ryo?"

"No sweat Videl. You saw how I handled Yamu, and Gohan's a lot stronger then me."

Videl looked shocked. "You're kidding!"

"No, I'm not joking Videl," Ryo snickered. "Just watch and you'll see. I'll wager you'll probably begin to start understanding things as this tournament continues on."

Videl looked thoughtful as she considered this, and didn't say anything in response. She looked out towards the ring praying Ryo was right.

"You think it was funny what you did to Videl don't you? You're real proud of yourself huh?"

"I enjoyed myself if that's what you mean," Spopovitch jeered in that ogre like speech impediment of his.

"Figures you sick bastard," Gohan grimaced. "Well, let's see how funny you think it is when you're the one getting clobbered around the ring."  


"Oh, I'm so scared."

  
"Well you better be," Gohan grinned evilly, as an aurora of energy surrounded him. "Now fight me you butt ugly bone head!"

"You want some of me! Then fine!" With a loud roar, Spopovitch rammed his fist into Gohan's face. Gohan's head jerked back a little, but otherwise held his ground. Spopovitch then nailed him in the face again with a left, then again with his right, then continued pounding him throwing at least two dozen punches in rapid succession. The crowd grunted and groaned with each blow, wondering how in the world Gohan's head managed to stay attached to his shoulders each time it was spun around.

"Gohan!" Videl screeched from the waiting area. Ryo had to grab her by the shoulders to keep her head from hitting the roof. Actually, he was worried she might do something stupid like run out to the ring, but this didn't hurt for that either. 

"Calm down Videl. He's just baiting him…"

"Baiting him!" Videl frowned at him. "Are you watching the same fight I am?! He's getting his head knocked off is what he's doing!"

"Just wait and see Videl. Wait and see…"

Spopovitch fired his fist at Gohan one more time, forcing his head to the side one more time. Gohan stumbled back, looking like he was going to fall. Spopovitch grinned as Gohan's head slowly turned to face him. He expected to see fear, or pain, or something in those coal black eyes of his. But he got neither. Gohan's eyes met Spopovitch's , and he smiled. "Nice try. Now it's my turn."

Before the big man's eyes had time to widen, Gohan rammed his fist into Spopovitch's gut. The big man didn't even see what hit him, though he sure felt it as he bent over. He didn't notice Gohan's fist come up and hit his jaw either, until his head was bouncing up and down like a cheap bobbing head doll. Gohan grinned at the look of shock Spopovitch gave him after he stumbled around. "That's just to let you know what you're in for."

Now realizing what he was up against, Spopovitch entertained the thought of turning face and getting the hell out of there. He might've done just that if he'd had the time. Gohan's fist were coming at him much faster then Babadi's henchmen could think, not that that was saying much, landing over fifty different punches over any part of Spopovitch's body he could find open. This was all in the small span of about twenty seconds, as Spopovitch hobbled around the ring after every blow. If he knew Gohan wasn't even coming at him with even a third of his actual strength, the poor guy might've wet his tights. Gohan suddenly halted his assault, allowing him to tilter to the side groggily for just a second before serving a crushing blow to his face. Spopovitch went sailing across the ring, ticketed to crash right into, or possibly through, the wall to the far side of the arena. However, Gohan suddenly zipped towards the edge of the ring, catching Spopovitch in his arms before he could fly out of the ring. Spopovitch peeked down at Gohan nervously, a trickle of blood flowing out of his nose.

"Oh no, don't think you're getting off that easy creep. I'm not finished with you yet!" Gohan grunted as he tossed Spopovitch back to the center of the ring. This was much to the surprise of the crowd, and especially his two friends watching in the back.

Videl stared in shock while Gohan pounded on Spopovitch, and sent him flying. She was even more surprised when she watched him prevent his opponent from getting a closer look at the architecture of the arena wall. "What did he do that for?! He could've won the match! Is he crazy?!"

"No, he's angry," Ryo gritted his teeth. "He wants to get back at Spopovitch for what he did to you… I'm worried what he might do if he gets too carried away… Anyway, I think he believes he's doing this all for you…"

"Well if he is, he can just stop! If he wants to defend my honor, he can do that by beating him in the ring, not stooping to Spopovitch's level! He's better then that…"

"I know that, and you know that… I just hope he remembers that…" 

"He's wasting his time," Vegeta spat, as he approached suddenly from behind. He wiped his mouth clean, and looked out towards the ring. "He needs to be worrying about Taro, and not wasting time with this fool."

Ryo and Videl looked up at Vegeta surprised to see him, but both shook it off quickly and looked back out towards the ring. Ryo bit his lip hoping Gohan wasn't doing the one thing he promised himself he wouldn't. Don't do this Gohan… You'll regret it later… Remember what you said about letting your Sayian side take over? Well, that's exactly what's happening here! Just please don't go overboard…

"Get up you creep!" Gohan growled, kicking Spopovitch in the face. Spopovitch rolled over, and struggled to get back to his feet. Gohan knocked him around some more, Spopovitch serving as not much more than a large punching bag. Gohan was enjoying it too, that part of him from his father's side that thrived on this sort of thing. The Sayian blood beginning to fizzle, and roam free through his veins after being suppressed for so long. He'd see Videl with every punch he threw, and that heated his blood to a near boil each time. Every time he'd hit her… Every time he heard her scream or cry out… Every second he had to watch her roll around in agony on that damn cot… Every bruise he saw on her face, every second he had to stand back unable to do anything for her, and those brief moments he feared if she would even make it or not. One blow for each thought, and each thought made him want to pound on him that much more. Faster and faster, and harder the angrier he got. The only thing that made him feel better was to hit him again, and that only lasted a second or two so he nailed him over and over. Spopovitch crumpled to the ground again barely moving. Gohan stalked around him methodically, practically begging for the lunk-head to get to his feet again. There wasn't much that could stop a Sayian on a rampage. But there was one thing that could calm this Sayian at least. 

Gohan caught a glimpse of Videl out of the corner of his eye, and turned around to look at her almost instinctively. Her look puzzled him to some degree. She looked almost concerned over something, maybe even a little disgusted. Gohan stared in her direction another second or two until Videl shook her head, a silent way of telling him that if he thought he was doing this for her he needed to spot right there. The life suddenly drained out of Gohan's eyes, and looked dejectedly her way just then realizing what he was doing. Showing her the one side of himself he never wanted to. Videl seemed to pick up on this to some degree, and smiled at him warmly to let him know she loved him anyway. Well, of course Gohan didn't know this yet, but that's what it meant regardless. Gohan smiled back at her, that brief surge of Sayian adrenaline fizzling out as it began to almost on eye contact with her. It was pushed back into the forgotten regions of soul alongside of fear, greed, and every other urge or emotion he had no need for feeling, allowing his more distinctively human side to show through. The Gohan that Videl, his friends, and family all knew and loved. 

A frown burned into the boy's face, as he looked back down at his fallen opponent. The big goon was actually picking himself back up to his feet. Well, time to end this thing I guess. I think I made my point… No need to sink to his level.

"Alright you ugly piece of crap! I've had enough of you! Time to say good-bye!" Gohan charged his Ki up, holding back just enough so he wouldn't kill him. Gohan helped Spopovitch up, only to clobber him with a monstrous right hand. Spopovitch literally went flying, knocking down a pillar next to the wall, as his body sailed out of the arena. Spopovitch hit the ground and skidded a good half a mile, leaving a bulky body trail in the dirt as he slid out of sight.

"What the…" Hercule gasped, his jaw hanging open once again after witnessing Gohan knock Spopovitch half way to Brazil. "How did that kid?! But… But… Videl couldn't even… How is it possible?! Its just like that other kid did to Yamu, and there was that big freak with the horns on his head… I'm going to have to fight a couple of these guys eventually! I think I might be in trouble…"

"Oh Kami, tell me he didn't!" Videl screeched clasping her hands together, and putting them to her chin. 

"Don't worry about it Videl, Gohan held back enough not to kill him," Ryo told her.

Videl looked at him with disbelief spreading across her face. "He held back?!"

"Oh yeah. He could've knocked Spopovitch all the way to the moon if he wanted to. Remember, he didn't even transform."

"You have a point," Videl admitted, as a smile crossed her lips. She watched Gohan as he waved to the crowd blushing somewhat while they cheered. Most of them were overjoyed to see Spopovitch get his butt whooped after watching what he did to one of Satan City's most treasured citizens.

"Whoa baby!" The MC raved, as he stared at the dirt trial of carnage Spopovitch left after leaving the ring. "Where ever Spopovitch landed, I think it's safe to say it was out of the ring! That makes Gohan our winner!"

"I don't think you'll be needing that," Gohan said, pointing towards the two monks holding the stretcher by the side of the ring. The two men sweat dropped when they remembered the reason they were sent to fetch it. "Unless you want to go find Spopovitch, and haul him back here."

"Speaking of witch I guess we can't make this match official until we're sure Spopovitch is still breathing, so we better go find him. We'll have a brief intermission until then, so hang tight folks."

Gohan smiled, satisfied with his victory. Satisfied up until the point he'd walked about halfway back to the waiting area, and saw the look on Videl's face. She didn't look angry, upset, afraid, nor did she really put any other emotion on display. Maybe confused at best, and possibly a little shocked. Whatever it meant, that look still made Gohan nervous, rather Videl made him nervous anyway, and he approached her cautiously unsure of what type of reaction he was going to receive from her. He still had nothing to go on by the time he was face to face with her. Gohan smiled anxiously, and rubbed the back of his neck while speaking the only word that managed to pop into his head at that moment. "Hey…"

Videl blushed, and stared back at him. She had a decision to make here. She could either stick to her guns, and try to stay indifferent towards him at least until he told her the truth that night. Either that, or she could do what she really wanted to do. Well… For just this once Videl decided looking tough could slide for a few seconds.

"You won!" Videl laughed, and wrapped her arms around his waist tightly. She was, for the most part, happy that she was wrong, and Gohan could handle himself in the ring up against Spopovitch. She had a feeling he'd pull it out, but not quite as convincingly as he did. Gohan blushed, and cautiously returned the embrace. He made sure to be careful where her put his arms though, afraid Videl might realize what she was doing, and rip his arms right out of the sockets. He wouldn't have to worry long however, for Videl quickly pulled away from him. Her smile remained on her face, as she wiped a strain of black hair out of her face. "I mean… Congratulations."

"Thanks," Gohan replied softly, relieved Videl wasn't angry with him.

"Look Gohan… I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself, so I don't need anybody defending my honor for me okay? But in this case… I know your heart was in the right place, and thank you anyway…"

"Your welcome."

Ryo smiled, while Vegeta snorted and tilted his head away from what he perceived as a disgusting human display of emotion. Their attention however, would soon be diverted as a group of large Ki's were felt flying in their direction. One of course was the unmistakable energy of Goku with Piccolo, Krillen, and Eighteen right on his heels. 

"What are they doing back here already?" Ryo asked, as they made their decent down to the arena. 

"The Kai and his stooge aren't with them," Vegeta noticed. "Maybe the little purple man led them on a wild goose chase."

"Well… There's only one way to find out…"

"Hey dad!" Gohan greeted his father, as Goku landed in front of him and Videl. "What are you guys doing back here? I thought you went with the Kai to find that wizard guy's ship."  


"Well we did…" Goku trailed off. "But it's the weirdest thing really. He kind of caught on to the fact that we were following him, and he kind of blew himself up before we found the spaceship…"

"Blew himself up?!" Gohan's eyes widened. "How did he catch on to you guys anyway? I'm sure Shin was strict on being discreet while you followed him."

Goku sweat dropped nervously. "Now, now Gohan! Ha, ha… There's really no point in you knowing that."

Piccolo and Eighteen rolled their eyes disgustedly, while Krillen started to laugh. "Well, let's put it this way Gohan. Your dad kind of decided to break wind in a different way then the rest of us while we were tailing Yamu. I'm not sure if it was the sound or the stench, but something sure got Yamu's attention."

"My guess would be the stench!" Piccolo growled. "I just happened to be the one stuck behind him, when Goku decided to pass gas in mid-air…"

"I'm sorry guys, I wasn't trying to!" Goku whined, as he grabbed his stomach. "I probably shouldn't have eaten all that pasta before the tournament…"

"Hey, where are the Kai, and Kibito at anyway?" Gohan asked, noticing they were absent from the group.

"They wanted to keep looking for Babadi's spaceship," Goku replied. "They have reason to believe Yamu was close to home when he blew himself up. They said they'd keep us informed if they find anything, so we decided to come back and watch you guys finish the tournament. What did we miss anyway?"

"Well, Gohan just finished kicking Spopovitch's butt all over the arena," Videl smiled, causing Gohan to blush.

"Well, I pretty much expected that," Goku said. "I guess that means it'll be you and Vegeta in the next round hey?"

Both Gohan and Ryo cringed, while Vegeta growled and clenched his fists. Needless to say, their reactions had Goku curious. "Is something wrong with what I said? What's going on here guys?"

Gohan thought about telling him, but looked back towards Vegeta to make sure the Prince didn't want to tell the rest of the Z-senshi himself. Vegeta seemed to understand, and nodded to the younger Sayian letting him know he was indeed man enough to face the music on his own. Gohan expected no less from the Sayian Prince. Vegeta forced his head to rise, but shifted his head to the side so he wouldn't have to look them in the face. 

"I…" Vegeta balled up his hand tighter, trying to force the words out anyway he could. "I… I will not be fighting Gohan in the Semifinals… I lost my match to Taro…"

Goku and company's faces faltered in shock, even eighteen as her mouth curved in a strange way. Goku's head nearly fell off of his shoulders. "What?! You lost, but how was that…"

Vegeta's face exploded with frustration. "I should've beaten him! But… I let myself grow overconfident… I underestimated his resolve, and he used that against me. Look, I'm not going to stand here, and make excuses for my failure. I lost, and now I'm going to have to live with that shame…"

"Vegeta lost?" Krillen said over to himself, a panicked look on his face. "This is unbelievable! Where the hell did this guy come from anyway?!"

"That's what I'd like to know!" Vegeta growled.

"Yeah…" Gohan trailed off, and addressed his father. "To tell you the truth I'm kind of worried now. If Vegeta couldn't beat that guy, then what chance do I stand against him?"

Vegeta overheard this, and jumped in with a passionate flare before Goku could respond. "What are you talking about boy?! You're a Sayian warrior, of course you can beat him! You just have to find a way too… There has to be…" Frustrated with Taro, and pissed off at himself, Vegeta swung his arms in the air, and charged off for some undisclosed location away from the other Z-senshi. 

"Man, he sure doesn't take losing very well does he?" Videl observed.

"Actually, I think he's taking it rather well," Goku disagreed. "A few years ago he might've gone berserk, and have tried to destroy the entire planet after losing a fight. He's come a long way since then to admit defeat, and not point the finger in another direction."

"Get real Goku! Like Vegeta could really destroy an entire planet!" Videl snipped, clearly not believing him. Not long afterwards though, her eyebrows perked up remembering much stranger things had occurred over the past few days. "Can he?"

Goku smiled at the way she asked that. "Well, I've probably said too much. You'll have to ask Gohan about that, I'm sure he'll tell you all about it later tonight."

Videl frowned at his. "Oh right… Another one of those things huh?"

"Hey Ryo," Gohan said, catching his friend by surprise. He'd snuck away for a second as his father and Videl shared some sort of brief conversation. "I wanted to ask you something… You haven't happened to have any visions about me and this next fight have you…"

Ryo's brow furrowed. "No, and to tell you the truth I haven't had many visions at all when it comes to this tournament. It's strange… Maybe because I'm involved in it, I don't know… To tell you the truth I don't really like it… I'm used to having some sort of idea as to what I'm up against when it comes to situations like this, and it kind of bothers me now that I don't… Sorry man, but I can't help you."

"That's okay… I guess I should rely on making my own fate anyway…"

The boys attention shifted when they overhead the MC's voice ring through the arena. "Your attention fans! We've just gotten word that Spopovitch is still alive, but is in serious need of a good chiropractor if there's one in the audience at this time. That means Gohan can continue on to the semifinals to face Taro! Now let's move on with the second round shall we! Our next match features Hail and Ryo!"

Ryo took a deep breath, and smiled over at Gohan. "Well, guess it's time for me to get my butt out there again."

"Good luck," Gohan wished, as Ryo walked out towards the entryway. 

Hail made sure to split the gap between Eighteen and Krillen on his way to the ring. Krillen tensed up a bit, while Eighteen snarled at him. Hail snickered beneath his mask, and stepped out into the daylight. Ryo was just about to step out to join him when Eighteen stopped him abruptly.

"Listen kid. There's nothing I can do about him right now, so I want you to kick his ass into next week you got me?"

"I'll try my best." Ryo frowned slightly, unsure if that would be good enough. "Somehow, I don't think this guy's going to be a walk in the park."

Ryo felt Hail's eye shift towards him. Ryo returned the half glance without turning his head either. "Well, well, it looks as if the Ray Lien are down to one now aren't you? Or do you even care that Eighteen toasted your friend a while back."

"It's not my job to care," Hail said, as they began their walk to the ring. "What I am concerned with though is that it's now my responsibility to take up that weakling's job along with my own."

"In my humble opinion, Hail shouldn't even have been allowed to continue on in this tournament after his heinous actions in his first round match," the MC announced. "However, after a convincing win against Yamu in the first round, Ryo has proved he can handle himself in the ring. This should prove to be a most interesting match up."

"So, just what is your job anyway?" Ryo asked Hail. "Who are you after I mean?"

Hail didn't answer, and continued towards the ring until they were both inside. The two combatants stared across the ring from each other waiting for the MC to start the match. He yelled begin soon enough, and Hail struck a poise, squinting his eyes as he stared back at Ryo. "Don't worry about who my target is. Right now my only concern is you."

End. 

-Yes everybody! Vegeta lost, get over it. 

__

Preview of Chapter 19 _The conclusion of round two as Ryo and Hail square off. Soon after, round three begins, and Gohan has to figure out a way to defeat Taro after watching Vegeta's stunning defeat._


	19. Chapter 19

-I'm back! No excuse for being so late this time, I've just been up to different things. The fight scenes in this chapter aren't all that great, but after a few fights you kind of run out of ways to say this guy punched or kicked this guy. It's kind of like listening to football or wrestling on the radio, it just doesn't come off the same on paper. Well, chapter 19 is here, I hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: Don't own DBZ. Only Taro and Hail sprung from my twisted imagination.

Chapter 19

"Yow!" Ryo yelped, as Hail's leg sailed over his head. Ryo thrust locked his sights on the blue ninja, firing his fists at Hail's upper body. Hail stayed with him step for step, gradually being knocked back towards the edge of the ring. Hail sensed this, and pushed Ryo back with a massive exertion of his energy. Hail took to the air before Ryo could rebound and come back at him, so they continued matching each other's movements from mid-flight. This had gone on for the better part of ten minutes, taking that long for the two combatants to feel each other out. This didn't bother Ryo much, he'd expected a good fight when he walked in the ring, but this pace rattled Hail to some degree. He'd expected to walk all over this simple earth boy, and was quite unnerved to discover Ryo just may be a step faster then he was. He'd have to find a way to compensate for that.

The crowd watched on in silence. They'd grown use to seeing the Tenkaichi fighters take to the air, and in fact were kind of expecting it now, so they weren't as shocked when it happened. They even showed rather decent patience during those moments the fighters were moving too fast for them to see, knowing they'd slow down once somebody got a good whack. 

"I'll have to say I'm impressed boy, I wasn't expecting a fight like this," Hail panted, trying to sound confident. It didn't work very well. "If I'd known I would've wore my good boots, but you know you can't keep this up forever. Eventually I'll…"

"Save your breath Hail! You can try all you want, but you can't get into my head! It doesn't matter what you say, it's not going to work on me!"

Hail growled, wanting nothing more then to knock the stuffing out of this insolent brat. "Is that so?! Well I guess I'll just have to pound you the old fashioned way!"

Hail caught Ryo's arm, as it came towards his face, and spun it around. However, Ryo quickly pulled out of his grip, and caught Hail underneath the chin with his boot. Hail wobbled in the air a bit, but managed to brace himself before Ryo pressed the attack on him. Hail caught the boy swooping in, and drove his knee into Ryo's mid-section. Hail put the boy in a headlock as he doubled over, and started a nosedive towards the ring. Ryo tried desperately to wiggle out, as he watched the tile on the ring inch closer and closer to his face. Finally, Ryo managed to free himself, just mere inches away from crashing into the ring. Hail bounced off the surface of the ring, and flipped back up to his feet. He was already ready for Ryo when he came charging towards him, and another brief jousting match ensued. Hail came down low, trying to sweep Ryo's feet out from under him. Ryo skipped over his legs, and barely dodged Hails foot as it came streaking past his face. Another quick sidekick however would catch him in the jaw, and Ryo stumbled back falling to the ground after losing his balance. Hail flared his Ki, and charged towards Ryo as he stood back up. Hail rammed his shoulder into the boy, sending Ryo rolling towards the opposite end of the ring. Smelling blood, Hail summoned up a large ball of Ki, as it could be seen forming in his hands.

"Let's see how tough you are boy! Take this!" 

Ryo collected himself just in time to see what looked like a scattered assortment of blue Ki blasts coming his way. With no time to get out of the way, Ryo crossed his arms in front of his face, and waited for impact.

"Ryo!" Gohan chocked, as he watched Hail's blast hit. He, Videl, Piccolo, and Goku watched worriedly, as a cloud of dust raised to the sky from where he had stood, wondering just what kind of shape he'd been in when the smoke cleared.

Hail chuckled as he watched on, wondering how many pieces the boy was in now. He waited for the smoke to clear, and his eyes widened when he saw Ryo staring back at him smiling, not a scratch to be found on his body. "How the hell did you?!"

"An energy shield?" Shin said curiously, as he and Kabito were observing the fight from above the arena. "Interesting…"

"Indeed," Kibito said unsurely, giving his master a questioning look.

"What's the matter Kibito? It appears that something is bothering you. I can't read your thoughts like I can with others."

"Forgive me sir but… Why in the world are we here at this Earth tournament while we should be searching for Babadi's spaceship? I'm sorry master, but I just can't understand your logic."

"Oh, but it's very simple my friend," Shin smirked. "I want to see just how strong these earthlings are, especially young Gohan down there. If he can rediscover the power he admitted when he defeated Cell, he could very well be a valuable weapon in our struggle against Babadi. I need to be certain however. If he can't get by Taro, then it would seem unlikely he could stand up to the likes of Majin Buu… Not that there's many, if any that can mind you."

"I see," Kibito nodded his head, finally understanding his master's intentions.

Ryo appeared confident, but in his mind he sighed with relief. That was a close one… If that attack had any more pop to it, my shield might not have been strong enough to hold up against it. Better not try that again…

"Hmm… You're more resourceful then I'd thought you'd be," Hail chocked, not succeeding in hiding his newfound anxiety so well. One of his strongest attacks just bounced off this kid like a mosquito bouncing off a car windshield , and Hail had no idea how he did it.

"You have no idea…" Ryo said softly, as a cast of purple Ki circled around his body. "Now you see me… Now you don't." Ryo whispered before phasing out, out of the sight of Hail and the crowd.

"What the?!" The MC's shades slipped down his face. "Ryo has appeared to have well… Disappeared. I'm not sure if he's left the ring or not…"

"He must have turned around, and ran out of here so fast we couldn't see him," Hercule said, sounding hopeful as he tried to convince himself of that. Then again he wasn't wild about the idea of facing the guy in the blue pajama's either. "That's got to be it! Doesn't it?…"

"He disappeared!" Videl gawked, wondering what in the hell was going on. She'd been taken by surprise more than enough after watching Ryo take that wicked energy blast without so much as flinching.

"Yeah… At least I think he did," Gohan said, staring at the ring with a similar look on his face. All he could see in the ring was Hail, and a faint purple aurora of Ki circling around him. "Did he turn himself invisible or something?"

"Sort of," Piccolo replied, as the teens turned their attention to him. "Actually, all he did was use his psychic energy to shield his visual image to the naked eye. All he's actually doing is hiding his physical form with his energy, making his Ki visible instead of his physical form. That purple Ki cloud you see in the ring is actually Ryo."

Videl squinted her eyes, but sill couldn't see any sort of purple cloud like Piccolo had mentioned. "But I still don't see anything…"

"That's because you can't sense Ki yet, so you can't see him ," Piccolo explained. "From the looks of it, Hail can't either. Ryo must've picked up on that, and that's why he tried this. It explains a lot considering he hasn't perfected this technique quite yet. It takes an enormous amount of concentration, so if he does so much as walk too fast or trip over a pebble, his concentration will break and he'll become visible again. It's a gamble considering he can't even attack until he reappears. It should be interesting to see what he has in mind."

"Where did you go?!" Hail growled, turning his body in semi-circles. "I know you're still here somewhere! Show yourself!"

"If you insist!" Ryo shouted, as he reappeared. "Kayohata!"

Hail's eyes widened, as Ryo's blast ripped into his mid-section. Several more tiny explosions followed as the energy blast seemingly tore through him. Even the combination wasn't strong enough to knock him to the ground, but he staggered backwards allowing Ryo ample opportunity to pounce on him. Ryo pounded the Ray Lien assassin, landing several well placed blows all around his body. One hard kick to face spun Hail around, and sent him crashing to the ground. Ryo loaded up and fired another Ki blast towards Hail, only for Hail to counter with a Ki blast of his own. They collided with each other, creating a huge burst of energy that sent both combatants back to the ground. Both sat up slowly, Ryo a bit groggy after taking the brunt of the after burst. Hail forced himself up a second quicker, and drove his fist into Ryo's face as he stood up. Ryo tumbled over on his back, while Hail stood above him clutching his side at the spot where Ryo's Ki blast had hit him. 

Damn that boy! I can barely feel the left side of my body… I have to finish this now! Hail realized that would be much easier said then down, even before Ryo sprung to his feet suddenly. Hail's face twitched slightly in shock and anger, and took a swing at Ryo. The boy moved out of the way, and kicked Hail in his good side, sending him staggering around the ring once more. Ryo pounced on him whacking him several more times, before Hail tried to retreat to the air. Ryo grabbed him by the leg preventing the Ray Lien from soaring anymore then ten feet above the ring. Hail got Ryo really good once when he kicked him in the face, along with several other foot taps in an attempt to try and knock Ryo off of him. Ryo hung on tight, and pulled him back towards the ground low enough to lay his fist into the small of Hail's back. The blue ninja cried out in agony, and his body went limp for a short time. Long enough for Ryo to bridge Hail's body over his head, and hold him up there.

"This is it!" Ryo grunted, and formed a long sword out of the palm of his hand. He stuck the point into the small of Hail's back, sending a faint but crippling surge through his body. Hail's body jerked upward as if he'd just been impaled, and fell still except for the slight shutter of a few tense muscles. Ryo huffed, rotated his body slightly, and heaved Hail to the ground, the Ray Lien landing face first outside of the ring. Ryo let out a heavy sigh, and dropped to his knees thankful this battle was over with.

"Wow, look at that folks! This fight is over!" the MC raved. "Hail has been tossed out of the ring, so that makes Ryo our winner!"

"What in the world was he…" Videl stammered, staring out at the ring in shock at some of the things she saw Ryo do. She wasn't sure why she was so surprised by all this anymore. What Ryo had been doing was pretty much the same feats just about everyone else she'd watched fight that day had been achieving. Was the bar for marital arts fighting suddenly raised, and she wasn't informed of it? What was with everybody anyway? If seemed as if Gohan, Ryo, Goku, Piccolo, Vegeta, and everybody else were all part of some sort of secret club, and Gohan acted as the bouncer who wouldn't let her through the front door. "This is unreal…"

"No, it's real alright Videl," Gohan said, as he watched Ryo limp back into the waiting area. He smiled at him while Videl gawked at him with a hushed silence. "Good going Ryo! Semifinals, not bad for a couple of rookies huh?"

"Yeah, that was very impressive Ryo," Goku agreed. "You had me worried for a second there. That sure is an interesting bag of tricks you have at your disposal."

Piccolo grunted, then smirked. "Well, I never doubted you for a second. Except for every second after the match started and until it ended that is."

"Your confidence in me is staggering Piccolo," Ryo jeered, jokingly. His eyes shifted towards Videl as he noticed the strange look she was giving him. "What's the matter girl? You still can't believe the fact that I actually know how to fight?"

"No, just the way you fight, and everybody else for that matter," Videl mumbled. She didn't continue on with the subject however, assuming nobody would jump at the chance to tell her anyway. Her expression grew troubled as a thought popped into her head. "You know what this means now don't you?"

"No, what?"

Videl wouldn't have to answer right away, for the MC was about to lead into it. "Your attention please fans! Due to the fact that Eighteen was disqualified for excessive force against Rain in the last round, that means Hercule will get yet another bye, and advance to the semifinals! Let's give it up for the World Champ, what do you say?!"

Hercule was already in the ring doing his poses for the cheering crowd, as he received yet another gift-wrapped victory complete with the little bow and silver platter. Videl half frowned and half groaned at her fathers embarrassing actions in the ring. "It means you have to fight my dad in the next round…"

"Oh no, anything but that," Ryo mouthed, as he rolled his eyes. On the inside he smiled, thinking of just how sweet it would be to finally shut that ninny up once and for all.

Hail groaned as he involuntarily rubbed his face into the dirt. His eyes widened as he felt his body suddenly flip over onto his back. They widened yet more when he saw Eighteen smirking down at him. He would've gotten up and ran if it wasn't for the annoying little fact that he couldn't quite feel his legs at the moment. That damn energy attack that blasted boy had used on him shot straight through his spine, completely messing up his range of motion. He did manage to quiver slightly, as his eyes seemed to say *oh shit*.

"Hey there ninja boy, how's the view down there?" Eighteen asked, as Hail waited anxiously to find out just what she was going to do to him. Then Eighteen surprised the Ray Lien by walking away. The only catch was she used Hail as a bridge, pressing down hard on Hail's chest one foot at a time as she stepped over him. Krillen followed after his wife, whistling as his hands rested behind his head. 

"Oops!" Krillen grinned, as his left foot *accidentally* slammed right between Hail's legs. "Sorry, didn't see you down there buddy."

Hail would've shot upward if his body could, but instead his eyes just rolled in the back of his head as his face turned red. He rolled over on his face, and promptly passed out.

Another fifteen minutes passed, and Hercule was finally finished with his pose down. With that in mind, the MC stepped into the ring, and excitedly called a start to the semifinals. "Your attention please fans! I'd like to begin by congratulating our final four combatants in this year's Tenkaichi Budokai! Gohan, Taro, Ryo, and our current World Champion Hercule! Now, without further adieu I give you Taro vs. Gohan!"

Gohan's body tensed up, then eased back down again. His father smiled, and patted his son on the back. "Calm down Gohan. You'll be just fine. Just keep your head up, and don't fall into the same trap Vegeta did."

Gohan took a deep breath, and smiled up at his father. "I'll try my best dad. I was nervous at first, but I figure if I was lucky enough to beat you today then maybe I can ride that wave of luck through this match. Well, here goes nothing."

"Be careful Gohan," Videl smiled. "After watching what you did to Spopovitch, I'm sure you won't have any trouble with this ugly freak."

"I wish I could share your newfound confidence in me Videl," Gohan sighed. 

"Don't worry so much Gohan," Ryo told him, placing his hand on his shoulder. "If you need a little extra motivation, then do this for Videl, or maybe even your mother." Ryo squinted his eyes, and leaned his head over Gohan's shoulder. He whispered into Gohan's ear, so Videl couldn't hear him. "Or if nothing else do it for me. I really don't want to have to face that guy in the finals if you catch my drift."

Gohan frowned playfully. "Yeah I catch it. What's the matter? Did your spine turn into jelly all of the sudden?"

"No, I'm just partial to my internal organs staying where they're at right now. Plus I'm a realist, if both you and Vegeta lose to that guy, then I don't stand a chance in hell. I'd hate to have everyone forced to rely on me to stop that guy."

"Well, you have a point there, but I still think you doubt yourself too much. Anyway, I'm going to do my best to make sure you or anyone else has to worry about that. Well… Guess I'd better get out there."

Gohan walked out onto the walkway, Taro already standing in his place waiting for him. Taro smirked down at him, and Gohan just sneered his way and looked back towards the ring. 

The MC began his introduction the second Gohan and Taro moved towards the ring. "Both of these fighters have had two very impressive victories today already, and I can only expect they're going to give each other one hell of a match this go around. Let's hear it for these two semifinalist!"

Gohan walked into the ring, and stared across it at Taro's grinning mug. "Well boy, do you have anything more to show me then your friend, or is that little Super Sayian glowworm trick all you have to offer?"

Gohan smirked back at him. "Well, it is true you did manage to defeat Vegeta, but I don't think you're going to be as lucky with me. Vegeta's Super Sayian power wasn't quite enough to defeat you I suppose, so I guess that means I need to step it up to the next level."

Taro's smirk curved into a frown. "You're bluffing! There is no second level for a Super Sayian."

"Maybe I am," Gohan smirked, as he powered up to his Super Sayian form. "Then again, maybe I'm not." It was true, Gohan was bluffing. He wasn't sure if he even had enough power to reach level two anymore, and if he did he was certain he needed to be extremely angry to reach it. If anything, he hoped he could at least get into Taro's head, and make Taro think he could. For the time being it worked."

"I don't have time for these ridiculous games! Shut up, and fight me!" Taro pulled his arm back, and slammed his fist into Gohan's face. Unlike Spopovitch earlier, he indeed felt this one. Gohan grimaced, and returned the favor by planting his fist into Taro's kisser. Taro's head snapped back in a similar manner, and after that everything exploded. 

They went at each other at a furious pace, throwing every type of punch, kick, or block you could imagine. "What's the matter boy?! Where's the rest of this power you were bragging about just a few minutes ago!"

Gohan growled, realizing his deception was warring off. The real bad thing about it was, it hadn't even done Gohan all that much good. He was hoping he'd catch the big goof off guard, or intimidate him into over committing himself and making a mistake. Neither to that point had worked, and now Taro seemed to be catching on. Oh well, looks like he'll have to do it the old fashioned way. "I don't need it! Not for the likes of you!"

"I see," Taro sneered. "Is that bullshit for, I'm a liar?"

"Last time I checked you were the bull, and you were the one full of…" Gohan took a swing at Taro's face when the monster grabbed him by the wrist.

Taro sneered, and rammed his forehead into Gohan's face. Gohan stumbled backwards, holding his aching kisser. Taro charged forward, but Gohan spun out of his way. He tried to land a sidekick to his face, but Taro was too quick and ducked under it. Taro buckled to his knees, and rammed his head into Gohan's mid-section knocking the Demi-Sayian halfway across the ring and to the ground. Gohan pushed himself up to his feet, and hopped over Taro as he charged at him again. Gohan landed on his feet, and whirled around just in time to watch Taro's fists come flying at him. He braced himself just in the nick of time to defend himself from Taro's blow. Hoping to land a big hit, Taro left himself open and Gohan took advantage, ramming his knee into the big man's stomach. Gohan landed several punches, knocking Taro around the ring with the force of each blow. Taro growled, and fired a sloppy Ki blast at Gohan's head that the Half-Sayian easily swatted into the sky. Taro used the momentary distraction to his advantage, and charged his opponent. Gohan braced himself and met Taro head on, locking their hands as their faces nearly pressed into one another's. Both battled hard trying to force the other one back, but neither man would budge an inch during this test of strength.

All at once an idea flashed in Gohan's head when he realized this little skirmish was going nowhere fast. He intentionally eased up allowing Taro to wrestle the advantage from him. Taro sneered, figuring he was overpowering the boy. He folded his arms around Gohan's, locking them in place at his sides, and forced Gohan up into the air with him. Taro squeezed on him tighter expecting to do some sort of damage to the boy. However, he was shocked when Gohan just smiled at him. With a large exertion of his energy, he powered out of Taro's grasp, and knocked him backwards. Shocked by this, the next thing Taro was aware of was when Gohan began to pummel him in midair. After a dozen well placed blows, Taro went crashing to the ring. Taro got up quickly, only to find Gohan torpedoing back down towards him. The Demi-Sayian planted his fist in Taro's face knocking him backward. Taro grunted and grimaced, as he struggled to maintain his balance. He had barely even managed that before Gohan was back on him, pounding him with blow after blow, until he crashed back to the ground. Taro sat back up slowly this time, and made it up to his knee before he crumbled back to the ground. Gohan took to the air, hovering a few feet above Taro as he pushed himself back up, so to make sure Taro didn't attempt some sort of sneak attack. 

"Please have mercy…" Taro wheezed, standing on his hands and knees. "I can't take much more I…"

"You're giving up?" Gohan asked, as he cocked an eyebrow. There's no way… He must be up to something. I haven't even really done anything to him yet. 

Goku grimaced as he stared out at the ring. "Something's wrong. Taro's too strong to be worn down that quickly."

Videl looked at him with an annoyed look on her face. "What do you mean?"

"Think about it Videl," Ryo answered for Goku, sensing that the Sayian was more interested in what was going on in the ring, rather then answering Videl's question. "You saw how hard Vegeta had to work to ware Taro down in their match, and he still came up short. Gohan hasn't thrown half of that at Taro yet, and he's already on the edge of defeat? I don't think so. Besides, Taro doesn't strike me as the type who begs for mercy."

"You may have a point," Videl grumbled, upset that her buzz had been killed. She had been excited just a minute ago believing Gohan was on the verge of victory, but now she wasn't so sure. "But maybe Taro hasn't recovered from his fight with Vegeta either."

"It's possible, but I wouldn't go to bank on that yet Videl. All I'm saying is don't celebrate until he's won."

Vegeta snarled, as he looked out towards the ring at Taro. There was something eerily familiar about Taro's Ki at the moment. Vegeta's face went wild, when he realized what Taro was preparing to do. "GOHAN! BOY, DON'T LOOK INTO HIS EYES!"

Everyone looked at Vegeta surprised by his outburst, and then back at the ring to see what the hell he was talking about. Only Ryo knew the answer for sure.

"What?" Gohan looked in Vegeta's direction, barely able to hear what he had said. By the time he picked up on the warning it was already for not. Taro sprung forward like a cat, grabbing Gohan by the wrists. Gohan turned his head in surprise, and found himself staring straight into Taro's face, red-eyes and all. Gohan flinched at the bright glow of light, and grabbed his face as his eyes started to burn. "Damn it! My eyes! What the hell…"

  
"Too late!" Ryo groaned, while Vegeta growled.

"Too late for what?!" Goku demanded.

"Taro possess some sort of special attack through his eyes that renders the victim's senses completely useless," Vegeta snapped informatively. "It's the same damn technique he used to defeat me… I'm afraid your brat's in serious trouble Kakarott. He's blind as a bat out there, and now deaf to boot."

  
"I can't see a damn thing!" Gohan screamed out loud to himself… At least he thought he had, but was surprised to find he couldn't hear the sound of his own voice. "What the hell did he… This must be what he did to defeat Vegeta! I'm in trouble…"

"You have no idea boy," Taro jeered, if anything just for show considering Gohan couldn't hear him. He did feel it however, when Taro's fists began to rain in on him. The burly beast knocked Gohan around the ring. Still shocked by what Taro had done to him, Gohan could barely defend himself having no real idea which direction Taro was coming from. A few more blows, and Gohan was sent sprawling down to the ring.

"Damn it…" Gohan grumbled, rubbing the back of his head as he stood up. Immediately, he felt Taro's horns ram into his back, knocking Gohan right back where he came from. Gohan sprung up quickly, trying to feel for Taro's Ki. Locating it, he took a wild swing at Taro that missed horribly. Taro cackled, and continued to pound on the Demi-Sayian after his misfire. 

  
"Damn it Gohan! Concentrate and lock in on his energy! Just don't dance around, and let him beat on you!" Goku barked as he watched Gohan hit the ground again. 

"It's no use Kakarott," Vegeta snorted. "Your son's fighting sense has gotten rusty over the years. He doesn't seem to know how to defend himself and sense his opponent at the same time. If he doesn't come up with something and quick, he's destined to be nothing more then a punching bag until this fight is over. Besides that, you have no idea how difficult it is to fight when you can't see or hear a damn thing! I find it amazing how much I really do rely on all my senses."

"I know Vegeta," Goku grumbled. "I don't think I want to imagine it… Just hang in there Gohan."

Little did the two older Sayians know it, but Gohan was doing just that. He pushed himself up to a knee, and stood there motionless while Taro paced all around him. Just like with Vegeta, Taro was too cocky and arrogant to go ahead and put away his opponent. He had to rub it in. Add insult to injury if you will. However, the big man seemed to have learned from his previous mistakes for this time he left a good distance between him and the Super Sayian so he wouldn't be caught off guard. "Don't even bother little man. I see that you Sayians seem to have some special ability that allows you to sense me without the aid of your usual senses. Well, I'm not about to be baited into that again, so go ahead and sense all you want, you won't catch me by surprise again."

"Maybe so…" Gohan smirked, just barely hearing him while he locked on to Taro's Ki. "Or are you just afraid to attack a blind man?"

Taro snarled. "Fine, you want to hurry this along then so be it!"

Gohan stood up in the direction he felt Taro approaching from, and put his hand up to his face. "Mind Bender!"

"What?!" Taro howled, as a strange tingly feeling came over his face. He suddenly felt woozy, and began to stagger around the ring. "What the hell did you?…"

Taro regained his balance, and once he focused his eyes found about a dozen Gohan's circling him all over the ring. "What is this?! Some sort of second-rate illusion! I demand that the real you show yourself this instant!"

"Why don't you come find me?" All the Gohan's chimed at once. His ears were slowly beginning to pick up sound again.

"Fine then! I'll destroy all of you until I find the real one!" Taro growled, and took a swing at the Gohan nearest to him. His fist went straight through him feeling nothing solid. He went after another Gohan with the same result, and a third with still no luck. With Taro distracted, this gave Gohan ample to time to lock on to Taro's Ki, and he waited. Taro attacked a fourth mirror image of himself, one that was relatively nearby the real him. Gohan seized the opportunity, and pounced smashing his fist into Taro's face. Gohan attacked the big man rapidly landing blow after blow. Taro was attempting to block erratically with a distressed look on his face. From his vantage point it looked as if all the Gohan's were attacking him at once, forcing him to try and defend himself from all of them at once considering he wasn't sure which direction the real limbs were coming from. Needless to say, this didn't work out all that well, and Taro got absolutely pelted along the way. Soon enough, the big bull realized most of the solid blows were being landed from in front of him, so he concentrated on blocking that Gohan's attacks, trying to ignore the other illusions. It wasn't easy but he managed at first, that was until Gohan's fist connected with his chin, sending Taro sailing towards the edge of the ring. Taro groaned and rubbed his chin as he sat, and was surprised to feel himself nearly tumble out of the ring. He thought he had landed somewhere in the middle of the ring… But then again, the arena was kind of turning out of control at the moment, so he had no idea where the hell he actually was at the moment. His eyes widened at the sight of a dozen Gohan's flying towards him. With no real idea which one he should defend himself from, he hit the ground instead of taking him head on. Taro rolled out of the way, and managed to hop up towards the middle of the ring before Gohan caught up with him. Gohan landed another pair of blows before Taro quickly singled him out as the real image. Taro fought him off for a good while, but that added distraction got the best of him. Gohan capitalized as his fists finally began to hit their marks, and after a few good whacks sent Taro back to the ground.

"Damn… How can he still manage to assault me when he can't even see!" Taro snarled, as he pushed himself up to his knees. He wondered briefly why Gohan wasn't attacking him, but he figured he was probably the type of guy that would have some sort of honor code that forbade him from attacking someone while they were down. His eyes widened in surprise when he noticed several of the Gohan images were beginning to disperse, and merge back in with the original copy. Eventually, they all merged back into one carbon copy, and the world suddenly stopped spinning and all was normal once again. Seeing his chance, Taro smirked and charged forward. Gohan braced himself and meet Taro head on, locking up with him as Taro glared into Gohan's eyes evilly. "Guess what boy. I can see you now!"

"That's nice, but guess what horn head!" Gohan grinned, surprising Taro that he actually responded to his question. "I can see you too."

Taro's face faulted in panic then folded against Gohan's fist, and the big man skidded back from the blow. Taro howled in frustration, and shot a Ki blast from his hand then went sailing towards a group of spectators up in the bleachers. Gohan reacted with panic, and raced to the air managing to knock the blast into space before the blast could take out a large section of the arena. Taro smiled and shot another blast towards the other side of the arena. Gohan outran the blast to its target, and knocked that shot into the stratosphere along with the original. Gohan frowned, as he looked down at Taro.

"Are you insane you idiot?! You could've killed somebody with that! Your fight is with me, not these people!"

"You're the idiot! You wasted a perfectly good opportunity to attack me to save these miserable people! Well, since I know this now I might as well use it to my advantage!" 

Taro's body began to glow as he powered up his Ki. Surges of energy flowed around his body, and the arena began to shake violently. The fans in the crowd began to scream as the ground began to move beneath their feet, and bits of rock and marble began to pry lose from the building's structure. The Z-senshi still in the fighters waiting room, struggled to keep their balance as the ground began to crack below them.

"What the hell is he doing?!" Videl screamed. She lost her footing, and would've hit the ground if Goku hadn't caught her and helped steady her while keeping his own feet on the floor.

"He's trying to destroy the whole damn arena!" Vegeta screeched over the rumbling going on all around him. "The fool must be desperate, though I don't see what the hell this is going to accomplish!"

"What the hell are you doing?!" Gohan demanded, as he looked on in shock at the arena rumbling below him. The boy had taken to the air to avoid the suddenly moving Earth.

"Playing my trump card!" Taro cackled, as his energy built up even stronger. "I believe that's an expression you humans use isn't it?! You have two choices boy! Either you surrender this match to me right now, or I'll crumple this arena into dust along with everybody in it! It's your callboy! What will it be?!"

"But you can't do that?!"

"Like hell I can't! The rules say I can't kill my opponent, or I'm disqualified! They don't say anything about the people in the crowd! Make your choice boy, because once I power up all the way this place is going to hell and back along with everybody in it!"

"No, it won'! I won't let you!" Gohan swooped down, and swung his fist at Taro's chest. He hit a wall of energy that backwashed right back through his body like the wattage surging through a light bulb, and Gohan was sent flying backward crashing hard on the ring surface. Taro just laughed as the boy struggled to get to his feet, fighting the ever-shaking ground beneath them. 

"You can't touch me while I'm summoning up all this energy boy! There's no way you can stop me because you can't touch me, so submit to me or I'll destroy this arena!"

Gohan took to the air to avoid the shaking ground below. He looked on hopelessly at the scene below, watching innocent people scattering for their lives. Some stayed glued to their sets, unable to move from the combination of the mass hysteria of people and shaking Earth below them. Gohan's face grimaced with determination. He knew what he had to do now… He couldn't surrender the match to him, he'd probably just level the place anyway for show. He'd have to take it to the next extreme…

Goku's eyes widened as the ground beneath him began to give way, and he took to the air. "Everyone take to the air quickly, unless you want a self guided tour of the Earth's core that is!"

Everyone did as instructed and took flight, flying outside of the waiting room hovering a few feet above it. Krillen looked out anxiously at the mayhem breaking out all over the arena. "Things aren't looking pretty out there. We might want to do something before people start trampling each other!"

"There isn't much we can do!" Goku growled. "If you see anybody in mortal danger then by all means help out, but until then…"

"What's that maniac trying to do?! Kill us all?!" The MC howled, before loosing his footing and tumbling to the ground. 

"Hercule, please do something!" One of the monks pleaded with him. "Only you are strong enough to stop that guy!"

"What do you want me to do?!" Hercule said, as he hopped up and down off the shaking Earth. "I can't even stand up straight! Whoa!!!!!"

"Boy, what the hell are you doing?!" Taro cackled, as Gohan floated towards the ground. He stopped just inches above the ground, and closed his eyes apparently concentrating on something hard. "Are you praying now boy?! I don't think that's going to do you any good!"

"Not exactly…" Gohan grunted, as a ball of Ki formed in his hands. "Ka-me-ha…"

"A Ki blast?" Taro asked sounding amused. "You really except that to work?"

Gohan didn't respond, just finished his incantation. Taro would get his answer in a moment. "Me-ha!"

Taro's eyes widened as the huge ball of Ki sped his way, much, much larger then he had expected it to be. Sensing the immediate danger, Taro broke off his attack to brace himself for the blast but he was a second to late. The Kamehameha wave collided with the large aurora of energy that had developed around the bull demon, combusting violently as they came together. Taro screamed as he was enveloped in the explosion that followed, completely washed in an irresistible sea of energy. "NOOOOOOOO! THIS ISN'T POSSIBLE!"

The light from the small explosion started to fade out, and all of the sudden the ground stopped shaking. The light dimmed out completely, and all that was left to be seen was the ashy remains of Taro in the wake of the explosion. Gohan sighed in relief, thankful that near disaster was averted.

The MC plopped his head up reluctantly, his glasses slipping down the bridge of his nose, somehow still holding on to his microphone. "It's over?… It's over! I can't believe this folks, but Gohan has stopped Taro dead in his tracks!"

The crowd appeared stunned, as they all settled down thinking the danger was over. Once the realization hit them, they all began to cheer in celebration that they all had survived near destruction by a madman. Gohan blushed slightly, and rubbed the back of his neck as the crowd began to chant his name. "Awe… It was nothing…"

"He did it, I can't believe it!" Videl cheered, and jetted down towards the ring.

"That's my boy!" Goku laughed, and flew after her.

Vegeta huffed, and smirked slightly. "I could've done that."

"Alright Gohan!" Krillen yelped happily. "He sure showed that overgrown slab of beef!"

"Yeah…" Ryo said, frowning. "But he had to kill Taro in the process…"

"Yeah, so what?" Krillen asked him looking confused. "Don't tell me you feel sorry for that thing!"

Ryo looked over at Krillen. "No, of course not! It's just that you know what this means…"

"Oh right!" Krillen recalled, looking dejected as he realized what Ryo was getting at. "Bummer…"

"Don't worry about it guys," Piccolo told them. "The important thing is that nobody innocent was hurt. Let's get down there and congratulate him."

"He's got a point, let's go!" Krillen said, as he and the rest of the group headed for the ring.

"Gohan!" The Demi-Sayian grunted, catching Videl in his arms as she torpedoed down at him. He laughed as he was forced to spin around one time from the impact, and set her back down on her feet.

"Careful girl! You almost knocked me out cold there!"

"Gohan! Congratulations!" The MC said, as he approached him. "You just saved this arena from being turned into rubble! Allow me to thank you on behalf of myself, and everyone present at the tournament today!"

  
Hercule looked pouty as he looked on with his arms folded across his chest. "It's no big deal! I could've stopped him if I wanted to!… The kid just beat me to it, that's all…"

"I just did what I had to sir…" Gohan replied shyly.

The MC's expression suddenly grew grim. "Unfortunately, I'm afraid I'm going to have to disqualify you from the rest of the tournament…"

Gohan's eyes widened while Videl looked absolutely incensed. "What?! Are you insane?! He didn't have a choice but to kill Taro, or he would've killed all of us!"

"I know that Videl, but the rules are the rules…" The MC explained. "It's still excessive force, and I can't make an exception… Please forgive me Gohan, but I don't have a choice."

"I understand," Gohan smiled. "You're just doing your job, and I don't want you bending the rules for me. I knew what was going to happen when I made my decision anyway."

The crowd wasn't all that thrilled with the MC's announcement, and voiced their displeasure accordingly. However, they quickly settled down, and reclaimed what was left of their seats in anticipation that their hero Hercule was finally going to climb into the ring for actual combat. The Z-senshi walked back towards the waiting room, Gohan being quite satisfied with the results of his fight. Sure he was officially eliminated from the Tenkaichi now, but saving a few thousand people from certain death wasn't that bad of a trade off. However, some of his comrades weren't all that thrilled with the official decision, Videl being the most vocal about it. "This is a bunch of crap! What did they expect you to do! Let Taro level the place and everybody in it!"

"It's no big deal Videl," Gohan smiled. "I'd rather not be the World Champion anyway, so I can live with the decision. I've drawn enough attention to myself today as it is."

"Yeah, but it's still the principal of the thing," Ryo argued. "Fighters like Taro practically have us by the balls with things like this, because they know their opponents can't do anything about it unless they want to get disqualified."

"Yeah, this all sucks, but let's concentrate on more pleasant thoughts," Krillen chuckled excitedly. "Namely that Hercule is about to finally get his in a minute!"

"What is that supposed to mean?!" Videl barked, shooting Krillen an evil glance.

"He didn't mean anything by that!" Gohan shouted towards Krillen, causing the short man to back off. "He just tends to shoot off his mouth, and say things that don't make any sense!"

"Hey, that's right…" Videl smiled, as she remembered what match was up next. She'd forgotten all about it within the excitement of the stunning finish of Gohan's match. "Ryo has to fight my father…"

"Your attention please fans!" The MC announced to the crowd. "I know the place has gotten a little messy over the past few minutes, but the tournament shall go on! Since Gohan was unfortunately disqualified for excessive force that means our next and final match will be for the World Championship! Ryo vs. Hercule!"

  
Ryo's eyes widened in horror, as the announcement rang through the arena. "Eek…"

"Hey, that's right!" Krillen shouted, and patted Ryo on the back. "How does it feel to know you're going to be the world champ in about five minutes?"

Videl gave Krillen that look again. "Are you delusional?! Even on the slim chance Ryo could beat my dad, it would definitely take him more then five minutes!"

"Boy, are you going to be surprised," Krillen muttered under his breath.

"What's the matter Ryo?" Goku asked him. "No need to be nervous, you've gotten through your first two matches just fine. You better get out there, they're all waiting for you."

"Umm… Yeah…" Ryo sweat dropped as he examined the large crowd anxiously awaiting the finals to begin. Ryo smiled nervously. "Now that I think about it, Hercule really enjoys this entire World Champ thing doesn't he? Maybe I should just back down, and let him have it… He's a lot better at handling fame than I would be, and I really don't want to be World Champion anyway…"

"Don't be ridiculous Ryo!" Gohan said to him. "If you didn't want to be the champ then why did you sign up for the tournament in the first place?"

"So I could help you watch out for Videl remember?! I thought I'd end up having to fight you, Goku, Vegeta, or somebody and get my ass kicked! I wasn't supposed to make it all the way to the finals!"

  
"Neither was Hercule," Krillen muttered again.

"That's just the way this tournament works out sometimes Ryo," Goku said. "You never know how the thing's going to go, and it just happens that you're in the finals this year. You've earned this shot, so go out there and make the best of it!"

"But I really don't think I want to go through with this guys…" Ryo laughed nervously, as he started to back further into the waiting room. "I might just call it night, and consider this a job well done…"

"Enough of this!" Vegeta growled as he stalked over to the boy. He grabbed Ryo by the collar of his Gi, and gave him the most evil glare the Prince could manage. "You listen here boy! I refuse to be submitted to another seven years of that moron's ramblings about how strong, and unbeatable he is because you decided to have a sudden case of stage fright! Now, get your ass out there, and get this over worth so we can go home!"

Vegeta tossed Ryo out of the waiting room, and Ryo hopped to a stop in the entryway. Ryo looked back into the waiting room dejectedly seeing the encouraging smiles on the faces of the Z-senshi, except for Vegeta, whose grimace said take a step towards here and die. Ryo hung his head in defeat, and gave Gohan a somewhat dirty look. "You just had to blow Taro to kingdom come didn't you?!"

Gohan shrugged his shoulders, and smiled. "Hey, just try to take it easy on Hercule okay?! For Videl's sake!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah…" Ryo mumbled as he headed towards the ring. "How did I get into this?"

  
"What did you mean by, for Videl's sake?" Videl frowned at him.

"Listen Videl," Gohan said softly, putting his hand on her shoulder. Videl's eyes eased up, sensing Gohan was about to tell her something important. "You know that I promised I was going to tell you everything after this tournament's over… I'm saying this now because I'm sure you're going to have a few more questions as soon as this match is over. All I'm saying is, don't be too surprised or distraught when your father loses this match, and don't be even more shocked when he loses it rather quickly and handily."

"You're kidding right?!" Videl laughed. Her smile faded when Gohan's expression remained serious. "You're serious aren't you?"

"Remember, I warned you…" Gohan said, then looked out towards the ring."

What am I going to do? Ryo thought to himself as he climbed in the ring. Maybe I should just throw the match? Everyone thinks Hercule's the strongest man in the world, so nobody would know any difference… Except… Ryo looked back towards the Z-senshi. Except, they'd know, and they're the only people whose opinion really matters… Oh boy, I am so screwed.

What am I going to do?! Hercule asked himself, as he climbed in the ring. I can't beat this guy! Hero's don't get beat up by scrawny rookies! I'll be a laughing stalk! All my fans are going to turn on me! I've got to think of something! Whoa, whoa, hold on here Hercule! It doesn't matter what you saw him do in his last two matches… They were just tricks, that's right! You're not going to fall for them like those other fools… They're just tricks… Aren't they?… Why couldn't he have just gotten himself disqualified too, and I wouldn't have to worry about this! Maybe I can intimidate him, and use that to my advantage! I am the world champ after all! I can do this! I CAN DO THIS!… I think…

As the fighters readied themselves, the MC was busy giving his overdramatic introduction to the crowd. "Ladies and gentle ready yourselves for what might be one of the greatest matches in Tenkaichi history! We have on one side our current champion who has proven himself time and time again in that ring, and he's sure to be put to the test in this one as he faces off against a young newcomer whose been very impressive in this tournament so far, and has also showed off some very interesting techniques. I hope you don't have any prearranged plans, because this one might take a while! This is the championship round, so there's no time limit! Everybody please give a big hand for our two finalists Hercule and Ryo! I'm sure the other fighters in the back are just enamored with the suspense as are the rest of us!"

"Try not to blink anyone, you might miss it," Krillen muffed, as leaned against the wall looking rather bored.

"I give him thirty seconds at the most," Vegeta snorted.

"Nah, I think you're underestimating Hercule just a bit," Goku disagreed. "I'm sure he'll last five minutes at the least."

Vegeta looked at Goku as if he'd grown a second head. "You can't be serious Kakarott! Have you just been dead too long, or are you forgetting what fool is in the ring!"

"No, I'm well aware of whose in the ring Vegeta. That's why I said five minutes… It will probably take Hercule that long to shut up."

Videl frowned and badly wanted to speak out against all these people who were making fun of her father, but she advised against it. For the first time since his fight with Cell, Videl was starting to have some doubts about her father's true ability. Well, it looked as if she'd find out soon enough. The announcer had finished promoting the match, and his hand was already cutting down through the air. 

"Okay then fighters! Let the finals of the 25th annual Tenkaichi Budokai begin!"

End.

-Ha, ha! That's all for now. You know I had several different scenarios mapped out for the way this tournament was going to flow… My original plan was to have Gohan win, but that's kind of been done to death by now… I even seriously tinkered with working out a way to have Videl or Krillen win, but couldn't come up with anything believable, or that wasn't just down right boring. Anyway, this next chapter is by far going to be my favorite so far. That reason being because I have Gohan do something to Hercule I've been waiting for him to do to him for months now! I doubt he ever actually will do it in the show, but he does here. Check it out, and see for your self… He, he.

__

Preview of Chapter 20 _The exciting finally to the 25th Tenkaichi Budokai… Okay maybe not so exciting, but everything going on around it is a hoot! Will Ryo wus out, and give the match up to Hercule, or will the crafty champ find another way to hang on to his beloved title? Whichever way, total chaos is bound to occur afterwards. Gohan might even have his little talk with Videl, though I might save that for another chapter depending on how long 20 runs. Well, until next time, bye-bye!_


	20. Chapter 20

-Ha, ha! This is by far my favorite chapter in the story, and I had a ball writing it. I hope you all enjoy it, and you can stop threatening me to get it out now. One a side note, I've had quite a few people lately ask me if I had a mailing list. As of this time I don't, but I'm considering making one. I've tried to avoid it to this point, because in my two plus years of internet writing, I've already had several virus come my way that are spread through people's address books, and I'm not sure if I want to deal with that. I'll be happy to e-mail anybody who wants notice when a chapter comes out, but my suggestion would be to check my profile or the new stories in the DBZ list every weekend. I try to stay pretty consistent at updating sometime every other weekend at least. That schedule's been pretty much Swiss-cheesed over recent weeks due to problems with FF.net, and that my chapters seem to be getting longer each time out. I am going to try to get back to that now however. I also have another story I'm working on that's been soaking up some of my interest. 

Disclaimer: Don't own DBZ.

Chapter 20

"Wow, I can't believe that goof actually made it all the way to the finals again," Yamcha laughed. "Well, at least old Hercule's finally going to get what's coming to him."

"Amen to that! But it's not fair, my Gohan should've gotten a chance to compete in the finals! Oh well, at the very least he should get third place. At least his friend made it into the finals, so I guess I might as well pull for him now." Chi-Chi stood up from her chair, and yelled down at the ring. "HEY RYO! AFTER YOU KICK THE STUFFING OUT OF THAT OVERBLOWN WINDBAG, DON'T BE SHY ABOUT SHARING YOUR PRIZE MONEY WITH YOUR BEST FRIEND, AND HIS LOVING MOTHER!"

Bulma sweat dropped. "Well, you can't say the woman doesn't have her priorities straight…"

"Wow lookie!" One of the fans chattered excitedly. "This should be a good match, that kid might actually give Hercule some problems!"

"Ah, who are you kidding?! Hercule's going to turn that rookie into a pretzel! I bet his thinking of ways to take that punk down right now!"

Let's see here… I can't fake the knee injury again, or they'll send the doctors back out here to check on me… Then again, if I actually fight in this match then I'll probably need the doctor's right after it's over anyway… What am I going to do?! Hercule sweat dropped as he looked over across the ring at Ryo. Does he have to keep looking at me like that?! Maybe I'll get lucky, and he'll trip over one of the cracks on the ring. That Taro freak nearly tore it in half. Hey, there's an idea! I'll protest the match due to unsafe fighting conditions! This ring isn't fit to fight in! But… That's never stopped the tournament before, and everyone will think I'm a wus… Ah damn it, there's a big pothole right behind me! Maybe if I crawl into it and hide he'll go away…

"Ryo sure doesn't seem anxious to fight with my dad does he?" Videl said, noticing how sheepish Ryo looked as he scanned his eyes over the large crowd. 

"I don't think it's your dad, but something definitely seems to be bothering him," Gohan agreed, noticing the same thing.

"It has nothing to do with your father Videl," Piccolo jumped in suddenly. "If anything, it's the crowd that's making him nervous. Ryo was lucky with his first two matches. He was up against dangerous and potentially lethal opponents, so he didn't have time to worry about such minor details. Now that the danger element has been eliminated, Ryo's finally had time to notice everybody's eyes are on him, and what's on the line in this particular match. It's not an uncommon fear, I believe you humans call it stage fright. This would be a type of it I would suppose."

"That makes sense…" Gohan looked back out at the ring. "You don't think that will be a problem do you Piccolo?"

"Possibly… Actually, it may be Hercule's only chance of winning this fight, if he has any at all." Piccolo smiled as he recalled certain traits in both Ryo and Hercule's personalities. "But I'll bet you Dende's Lookout that Hercule's going to shoot off his mouth, and say something to get Ryo riled up. Once he does, Ryo will forget all about the crowd, and they'll have to pull Hercule out of a wall somewhere."

Gohan smiled at this. "I don't think Dende would appreciate you using his lookout as a gambling chip, but it'll be interesting to see if you're right."

Videl wasn't all that thrilled with the way Gohan and his mentor were talking, and she pondered the matter plaguing her mind silently to herself. Why do they sound so sure my dad's going to lose?! I mean he's a two time World Champ for Kami's sake! Not to mentioned that he defeated… No wait, that's right he didn't kill Cell… So maybe he isn't as strong as I always thought he was… But could he?… Oh dad…

Ryo sweat dropped, as he looked out at the amassed crowd. "Do they have to stand up and scream like that? I know they love Hercule and are excited and all, but jeez! They're making it really hard to pretend they're not there when they keep practically screaming here I am!"

A light flashed in Hercule's head, as he examined his opponent. True it was a dim Christmas light that flickered on and off every few seconds, but a light none the less. He almost looks scared… Yeah, that's it, he must be scared! He knows who he's in the ring with! Of course he'd be intimated by the World Champion! That's what I'll do! I'll just flex my muscles a little bit, and this kid will go running out of the arena screaming!"

Hercule roared, and struck the V-sign pose for the people in the crowd to their massive approval. "I am Hercule, World Champion! It's obvious that you're overwhelmed to be in the same ring as a legend like me kid! I'm giving you one chance to turn around and forfeit the match to me, and save yourself a lot of unnecessary embarrassment! You're out of your class, out of luck, and out of your league kid! That's the difference between you and me! I'm a real man and a true champion, while you're just some wana be punk who made it this far by the skin of his teeth! There's no logical way a scrawny runt like you can possibly even last five minutes with a world-class athlete like me, so stop pretending and save us both a lot of time! You'd just make a fool of yourself anyway Ryu, or Ry-han, whatever your name was! Face it kid, you just can't cut it with the big boys! Those amateurs you beat earlier are nothing compared to me! You did good to make it this far, but don't lead yourself on kid! There's no way you can beat me, you're too small and too weak to stand up against me!"

Ryo snapped out of his trance, and scowled Hercule's way making the champ nervous. Ryo lowered his head and smiled almost sadistically. "You know people have been telling me that all my life… I used to believe it too, but then somebody taught me how to stop listening. I would've loved nothing more then to punch them all in the face, and knock their teeth out, but I always held back though because they weren't worth the effort or the trouble I'd get into if I did. That just wasn't my style, and I never cared what they thought of me anyway… But you know what Hercule?"

"What?!" Hercule growled, almost stumbling on his words.

Ryo's brow hung low over his eyes. "This time I think I'll make an exception."

Hercule face faulted, and backed away. "Wait a second kid! This is supposed to be the part where you turn around and run away…"

Ryo smiled at this. "Well, if that was your plan, then you better go to plan 'B'. To think I really did consider backing out of this match, but you just gave me every reason in the world to stay. You know there is a difference between us, but it's much different from the bull crap you just flung at everybody. You see, I don't like to call myself a warrior, but I do have pride and respect for my friends and the people around me. You however, are just a talent-less hack, and a phony who's lied and cheated his way to the top by riding the accomplishments of somebody else!"

"What?!" Hercule sweat dropped. What is he?!… He can't possibly know about that can he?! Unless he's one of them… Oh lord, I really am in trouble!

"I'm not finished, so don't interrupt me!" Ryo barked, and Hercule complied without any further argument. "You see, unlike you I actually earned my way into the finals, while you got a free ride. Now, what are you just standing around there for, or are you afraid this scrawny little runt is going to kick your ass?!"

"Shut your mouth boy!" Hercule roared, now just as enraged as he was afraid. "No one insults Hercule! Feel the wrath of my Mega Ton! Ha!"

"Here we go folks!" The MC raved, as Hercule lunged at Ryo. "After all that verbal thrashing, the two combatants are ready to get it on! This should be a colossal encounter folks, a match for the ages, one for the Tenkaichi record books!…"

Ryo nonchalantly ducked Hercule's fist, and gave Hercule a left hook right into his gut. Hercule wheezed violently, his eyes practically bulging out of his head, as Ryo slowly removed his fist from his stomach. Hercule's back remained arched upward for another second or two, before the champ crumbled to the ground in a heap holding his battered abdomen. Ryo sweat dropped as he looked down at Hercule, wondering if he had hit him harder than he thought he had.

"Hercule's down already folks, but don't worry he should pop back up any second now…" The MC sweat dropped after he had waited ten and Hercule was still shaking on the ground, holding his gut. The crowd suddenly went silent realizing the champ may be in serious trouble.

"Um… Maybe you should start the count now?" One of the monks suggested to the MC, nudging him with his elbow.

"Oh right!" The MC said, as the image of Hercule huddle on the ground in pain set in.. "1... 2... 3..."

  
"Dad?!" Videl cried out in surprise, as she stared at her father sprawled out on the ring. 

Ryo looked out nervously at his friends in the back, and noticed Videl looked absolutely mortified. Gohan looked a bit more on the miffed side, as he shook his fist at Ryo from over Videl's shoulder. "You call that taking it easy?!"

"I tried, I tried!" Ryo called back to him, shaking his arms in the air frantically.

"4... 5... 6.."

"Come on, get up! I didn't hit you that hard!" Ryo's pleas went unanswered. Hercule remained motionless with the exception of a slight wiggle now and then, still huddled up in a large ball on the ground.

  
"7... 8... What suspense fans, but I'm sure Hercule will come springing back up in a second. "9... Just a second!… 10..." The MC's jaw dropped in shock, and nearly the entire crowd was hushed into a stunned silence. "I can't believe this… Hercule is out! This match is over…"

"Oh wonderful…" Ryo groaned, a bead of sweat dripping from his forehead. "He didn't even give me a chance to throw the fight if I wanted to!"

"DAD!" Videl muttered, as she watched on in shock as several monks from the medical team brought out the stretcher. Her eyes followed the men as they rolled Hercule on to the stretcher, and hauled the World Champion… No nix that, former World Champion, away while he was still curled up into a ball holding his stomach. She looked back at Ryo in stunned fashion, and then back towards her father as they hauled him towards the doctor's office. "Oh daddy…"

The MC stumbled into the ring, and walked up beside a still stunned Ryo. The MC looked to be in total shock, as did the crowed that looked on silently as if their brains were still trying to process what their eyes had just seen at about the same rate a five-year-old computer takes to download dirty pictures off the Internet. "Well folks... Believe it or not this match is officially over, and so is the tournament. Your winner, and new Champion is Ryo!"

The crowd was silent another moment or two, as they blankly looked around at each other. Then, like most sports fans seem to do when one ban wagon loses a wheel and gets stuck on the side of the road, the fans in the audience immediately jumped on to the next wagon passing by. Ryo just happened to be driving it, as all of the sudden the fans began to cheer enthusiastically. Ryo ducked his head and blushed wishing a giant hole would open up in the ring, and suck him inside. Almost the second after the crowd began to roar, he was ambushed and surrounded by at least two dozen people, mostly reporters and Tenkaichi officials looking to grab the first comments from the mouth of the new World Martial Arts Champion. It was a full head on assault from all sides, too fast and sudden for Ryo to defend himself from. He practically froze as the thought sunk in his head that just about everyone in that building had their attention focused squarely on him, and he didn't like that thought one bit. He didn't even notice that a few shreds of the confetti being blasted all around the ring, float down and land on his head and shoulders. He his way back into reality when the reporters began to bombard him with questions.

"Congratulations Ryo! How does it feel to be crowned the new Champion of the world?"

"Tell us Ryo, what was it like to beat a former World Champion of Hercule's stature after all he's accomplished, and yet do it so convincingly?!"

"The people want to know Ryo, do you wear boxers or briefs?"

"Huh?!" Ryo gave the short balding man a funny look. Then, all of a sudden, about half a dozen flashes from cameras went off, forcing Ryo to cover his eyes. "Ah! I'm blind!"

Ryo rubbed the light out of his eyes, and tried to ignore the lame questions being thrown at him. That was until somebody finally asked him something that he had an answer for.

"So Ryo, now that you've won the Tenkaichi Budokai, what do you want to do now?"

"I… I… I want to go home…"

"Well, at least we don't have to duck our heads in the sand whenever somebody mentions Earth's champion now huh?" Krillen commented as he watched the proceedings going on the ring.

"Yeah, whatever," Eighteen smiled slightly. "Anything's better than that idiot Hercule."

"You know what, I'm kind of glad I didn't get a chance to win the tournament," Gohan decided as he watched Ryo getting swarmed by more and more reporters by the second. "I'd really rather not of had to deal with this."

"I think I'd have to agree with you," Piccolo added, with a smirk. "We should probably think of a way to get him out of there before those buzzards eat him alive."

"Ah, let him suffer a little longer," Gohan said. "He deserves it after all the hell he's put me through with Videl over the last few months. Isn't that right Videl?… Videl?"

Gohan looked over at Videl who was still looking out at the ring in a state of shock. All of a sudden, her legs began to twitch, and she moved towards the ring. "Videl where are you going?!… Well, that was stupid question. Might as well follow her."

"If you people will excuse me, I really should be going now…" Ryo laughed nervously, as he tried to push his way out of the mass of reporters. "All that fighting wore me down, and I could really use some rest…"

"Sure thing sir," one of the reporters said. "Right after we get your thoughts on winning the final match, and answer the other two dozen or so questions we have for you."

Ryo face faulted at the sound of that. "Now wait just a minute! I just won the damn thing thirty seconds ago, and you people haven't given me time to think yet! Now, let me through!"

Ryo managed to swim his way through the sea of reporters, only to immediately be swarmed by a dozen more that seemingly rose up from the ground, sticking microphones in his face and not to mention the feel of the sting of numerous flashbulbs going off in his face. Pushed to his breaking point he was poised and ready to scream, and start flinging news anchors out of the arena left and right when an unlikely hero came to his rescue. 

  
"Alright people, back off and give the man some breathing room!" the MC ordered, as he pushed his way through the crowd. With the help of a few security monks, they pushed the reporters to the side and managed to smuggle Ryo out of there. "He'll be happy to answer your questions later, right now he needs a breather after a hard day of competition!"

"Thanks, I appreciate it," Ryo said as they distanced themselves from the ring.

"No problem kid, I know all the media attention isn't going to bliss for everybody like it was Hercule." The MC adjusted his glassed, and glared Ryo a serious look. "But they are going to expect you speak at the press conference in a few minutes. All I did was buy you some time, so be ready for it."

"Oh wonderful…" Ryo sweat dropped, but his face soon recoiled in horror when the aspect of this fully kicked in. "PRESS CONFERENCE?! You mean like on TV?… In front of millions of people?…"

"Exactly. Don't worry kid you'll do just fine."

"But I can't! You don't understand, I can't be seen on TV! I mean I… Oh boy…"

"Don't worry Ryo! It's okay to be camera shy! You'll be just fine trust me…"

"But… But… But…" Ryo stammered, as that was all he could get out before the MC walked away from him. Ryo sweat dropped again, as he let his thoughts run wild. Oh wonderful… I'm going to completely blow my cover now, I just now it! He's going to kill me… I wasn't supposed to win the damn thing anyway!

"Ryo!" The boy shook his head, and turned his head to see who was calling him and found Videl. Ryo blushed slightly, wondering just how the girl was going to receive him. 

"Hey Videl… What's up?"

"Well… I just wanted to congratulate you… You're the World Champion now, and that's no small thing…" 

"Thanks…" Ryo said, sounding surprised. "You mean you're not mad at me?"

"No, not at all! I was caught by surprise, but there's no reason to be mad at you…" Videl trailed off, then smiled weakly. "I guess the better man won…"

Out of the blue one of the reporters broke free from the security net, and bloodsucked his way over towards Videl and Ryo. Ryo nearly jumped, and started to look for a place to hide. That was until he realized the reporter wasn't interested in him, and stopped right in front of Videl. Ryo seized the opportunity, and snuck away to the backstage area.

"Pardon me Miss Videl, but may I ask you a question? As I understand you're actually friends with the young man who defeated your father here tonight for the championship. How do you feel about watching your father lose in the title bout tonight?"

Videl frowned at the question, but her expression brightened up after she thought about it. "Well… I'm a little disappointed of course, but I think this was the best thing that could've happened to my father. His ego's gotten way to big over the past few months, and hopefully this loss will bring him down a bit, and he'll stop letting his training habits slide."

"I see…" the reporter said, looking surprised. "Well there you have it folks. Straight from the former champ's daughter herself."

"Man, they sure didn't make this much of a fuss when I won the tournament a few years ago," Goku stated, for the most part glad with that fact after witnessing what Ryo was in the middle of suffering through.

Piccolo grunted at this. "It's disgusting isn't it? Ever since that fool Hercule won the damn thing it's all become commercial. It almost makes a guy embarrassed to take part in the Tenkaichi, let alone win it."

"Way to go champ!" Gohan jeered after Ryo snuck into the waiting room. "How does it feel?"

Ryo cringed at the word champ, then grimaced. "I feel like the prized pig at the Grundy county fair. I'm getting pampered and prodded now only to be led to the slaughter house a few hours later."

"Come on, it can't be that bad!" Gohan laughed. 

"You want to bet?! They want me to give some kind of press conference now! On TV, in front of everybody! I can't do this!"

"It won't be that bad Ryo… Just ignore the cameras, and act like you were talking to one of us. Pretend like you won't be on TV at all…"

"Those are all problems in themselves, but that's not what I'm talking about!" Ryo griped, looking very nervous. "When I said I can't do this, I meant I can't do this! Look, I have people who might be watching this back home that I don't want to know that I'm here! If they find out, I'm going to have a lot of explaining to do…"

Gohan looked confused. "But Ryo… The entire tournament was televised, so if those people are watching then they already saw you."

"Well yeah, but that was down in the ring and not close up! For all they know, it was just someone who might look a little like me… If they hear me talk and see me close up on the cameras, it makes it a lot harder to stay inconspicuous!"

"Well, you do have a point there…" Gohan's face brightened, as an idea formed in is head. "Wait a second! I think I might have an idea…"

Gohan hauled Ryo off to the dressing room, and pulled some extra clothes out of his bag that his mom had packed for him incase he needed a disguise. Ryo sweat dropped as he looked in the mirror, and saw what his reflection was wearing. It wasn't much of a disguise at all… Just a pair of sunglasses, a green bandana, and a loose fitting green shirt.

"What the hell is this?! I look like a dork!"

"I don't think it looks that bad…" Gohan said, chuckling slightly. "At least they won't recognize you…"

"This looks like a bunch of crap you'd throw on when you were playing superhero as a kid," Ryo commented, as he removed the headgear, and handed that and the sunglasses back to Gohan. "You might want to save that for Halloween next year or something."

"Oh yeah right, what am I going to do with this Ryo? Throw on a cape, and call myself the great Sayaman or something?!"

"Please don't… Ah, I guess I'll just go out there as is, and hope for the best… The worst they can do is hang me when I get back home…"

"Who are you so worried about seeing you anyway?" Gohan asked curiously. 

"It's a long story, maybe I'll tell you sometime," Ryo replied. "I better get going… Man, this is gona be death… I wasn't supposed to win the damn thing!"

----------

Ryo grumbled as the cheesy music began to play over the loud speakers, as he was practically forced at gunpoint to waddle up to the podium where the press conference was supposed to be held. Countless members of the media surrounded the outside of the ring circling it like piranhas waiting for the wounded monkey to fall out of the tree and into the river. I'm going to get eaten alive…

"There's no place like home, there's no place like home, there's no place like home…" Ryo opened his eyes, and to his dismay the podium and reporters were all still decked out in front of him. "Damn it's not working! I knew that wasn't going to work, this is stupid, why do I bother?"

"What's going on out there?" Hercule grumbled at the commotion going on outside. The majority of the pain in his stomach had eased up, but he was still quite a bit winded.

"I assume they're beginning the post Tenkaichi festivities," the monk attending to his injury said to him. "They should be crowning the new champion any minute."

"New Champion…" Hercule chocked disappointedly. The very sound and thought of somebody else's name next to the World Champion title made every organ in his body churn disgustedly. Then he heard the sound of the fans chanting the new Champion's name, and something inside of him snapped. "There's no way! I can't let this happen!"

The monk's face recoiled with horror, as he watched Hercule sit up sharply in his bed. He rushed over to the former champion as he grimaced and doubled over from the pain still stinging violently in his abdomen. "Hercule sir, please don't make any sudden movements! You took a very hard blow to the stomach, and you need to take it easy for a while until you get your wind and strength back!"

"I'm just fine!" Hercule barked at him, ignoring the nagging pain's still stinging through this gut. "I've got to get out there! I'm not giving up my championship without a fight!"

The monk sweat dropped, as he watched Hercule charge out of the room. "But you practically already did…"

"Your attention fans! Now introducing to you our new World Champion Ryo! I'm sure he'll have a lot to say after his stunning victory over Hercule just a few minutes ago!"

Ryo's face squinted nervously, as he passed by the MC. "Actually, no really…"

"Don't be so modest!" The MC beamed, and shoved Ryo towards the podium. "Everybody here wants to hear what you have to say!"

Ryo looked at the microphones sticking out of the podium box with uncertainty, and then looked out nervously at the crowd. They were all excited and rowdy while they waited for him to give his speech, and he hadn't the damndest clue what to say. He looked over at the MC to voice his dilemma with him through his eyes.

"Don't worry about it kid!" the MC replied. "Just say the first thing that comes to mind…"

Ryo looked out at the crowd again, and figured *oh shit* wouldn't be the best way to start off this press conference. So, he decided on the one thing his mouth could manage to say. "Um… Hi…"

Luckily for Ryo, an unlikely hero would come to rescue yet again that day… Well, sort of. "Hold it right there!" Hercule growled as he cut through the crowd, and ran up to the podium. "I demand a stop to these proceedings at once!"

"Ladies and gentleman, Hercule has come out onto the stage!" The MC announced the obvious observation. "Why are you demanding a halt to these proceedings though Mr. Satan?"  


"Because it's all a farce! I demand the decision of the championship match be thrown out! That kid cheated! He hit me with some sort of foreign object during our match, and that's why I was knocked out so quick!"

"You egotistical lair!" Ryo barked, suddenly finding his voice with Hercule's attack on his integrity. He swung out from behind the podium to confront his accuser, making Hercule nervous. "I am not a cheater! If anything, it sounds to me like you're a sore loser!"

"I'd never go down that easy from a normal punch!" Hercule fired back, and then addressed the audience. "This little runt knew he couldn't beat me fair and square, and that his tricks wouldn't work on me so he restored to dirty tactics! I'd like to see him prove me wrong, because I know he can't!"

"Oh yeah, let's just test that theory!" Ryo pulled back his fist as if he was going to sock Hercule right in the face. Hercule panicked, and retreated behind the cover of several reporters. 

"You see how quick to anger he is, he has to be guilty! I demand that he be disqualified, and that the title be brought back to me where it belongs!"

"Look, if you have a problem with the way the last match went, then I'd be happy to give you a rematch and knock your ass right back out!"

Hercule's face recoiled with panic. "That's not ne-necessary!"

"Well, he's given you the offer Hercule," the MC said, sticking a microphone in his face. "I'm sure the fans wouldn't object to seeing two championship matches in one day!"

"Wait, wait, wait! There's no possible way! I mean, the World Title was only meant to be defended once every seven years at the Tenkaichi! You can't break tradition just like that!"

The MC sweat dropped, appearing unsure of the mighty Hercule. "I see… Well, it sounds to me like you're a little reluctant to get back in the ring with Ryo..."

  
"No, that's that it at all!" Hercule stammered. "It's just… He'd just cheat again, so there's no point!"

While the debate raged below, the crowd who'd stayed behind for the closing ceremonies were busy discussing the biggest wave of controversy to hit the Tenkaichi in decades. The crowd was literally split in half, half of them believing the word of their great hero was law, and felt justified in their belief that no man could beat Hercule straight up. The other half remained somewhat skeptical, and Hercule's reluctance to get back in the ring was the only evidence they needed to be so. However, only the Z-senshi watching on amongst the reporters and fans that were gathered around the ring, knew the truth for sure.

Vegeta's eyebrow rose upward. "His stupidity is still beyond belief!"

"That insolent pompous fool!" Piccolo growled angrily. "The spineless goof doesn't know how to take a defeat like a man, and has to come up with some second rate excuse to why he lost! These fools in the crowd are probably hanging on every word he says too because of his fame!"

"Well, what do you expect Piccolo?" Goku asked with a sigh. "You can't expect much more from Hercule. Just look at the way he became famous in the first place. Every accomplishment he's achieved in his life has pretty much been based around a bunch of lies, so he's gone back to his trump card."

"What the hell is he doing?!" Gohan sneered angrily at Hercule's allegations.

"I was afraid he'd do something like this…" Videl said, with a look of equal annoyance. "I'll go talk to him…"

"Yeah…" Gohan said, as Videl pushed her way towards the ring. Gohan snarled, and walked off in the other direction. "I think I'll have a little talk with him myself. There's no way he's getting away with this one!"  


"Well, there you have it folks," the MC announced dejectedly. "The championship has officially been contested by Hercule, so the ceremonies will have to be postponed until an official decision can be met…"

"That's just what I wanted to hear!" Hercule said happily, and started out of the ring. "I'll be waiting in my dressing room, until the board of officials comes to their senses and brings the title back home where it belongs! With me!"

"Yeah, you can keep your stupid belt, if that's all that matters to you!" Ryo shouted after him. "I don't give a damn about that, but I've never had to cheat to beat you or anybody else!"

"Dad, hold on a second!" Videl confronted her father, as he walked out of the ring. "What do you think you're doing?! I saw that match, all fifteen seconds of it, and you lost fair and square! Why couldn't you just take it like a man, instead of pulling something like this!"

Hercule's face lit up with surprise. "Videl, how could you?! Are you accusing me of being a lair?! I can't believe it! My own daughter… I can't believe you'd show me such a lack of respect!"

"I've never had to before today dad! What you're doing is wrong! I know it's lie, and you know it's a lie! Even if you could get them to reverse the decision, how could you live with yourself knowing you got your way all because of a lie?!"

Hercule went a little pale, as those words sunk in for once, since they came from his daughter. They usually just bounced right off of him, but Hercule ignored that brief revelation and acted his normal self. Poor Videl just didn't realize yet that her father had been living high off a lie for over seven years now, and it never bothered him one little bit. Keeping his title based off of one more wouldn't faze him at all. "Well, fine then! Think that way if you want, but I won't let that keep me down! My own daughter calling me a liar… I never thought I'd see this day… Well I'll prove you wrong! You and everybody else that doubts me!"

Videl stared a hole at the back of her father's head as he stormed away from her, a muffled tear escaping from her eye. "I never thought I'd see the day I'd have to doubt you… I'm starting to believe what Gohan and all of his friends are saying is right!"

********

Hercule wiped his forehead with a white towel, as he closed the bathroom door. Good… It looks like most of the people in the crowd are buying it… I don't know what I'm going to do if they want me to fight that kid again!… Ah, don't worry about it… Take things one step at a time Hercule, and everything will be just fine…"

Hercule jumped, as he heard a knock at his door. He turned his head towards the wooden frame, and frowned. "Go away! I'm busy!"

In complete defiance of his greatness, Hercule was ignored and the door slammed open without permission. Hercule growled, and turned around to find a scrawny looking kid with black hair invade his room. "What the hell do you think you're doing kid?! This is my private dressing room, get out now!"

"I don't think so." Gohan crossed his arms over his chest. "It's time we had a little man to man Hercule…"

"Man to man?! Who the hell do you think you are you little punk?!" Hercule's eyes squinted as he thought he recognized this young man. "Wait a second… You're that kid that's been hanging around with Videl aren't you?! I thought I told you to stay away from my daughter! What was your name anyway?! Shoran or something?…"

"The name's Gohan!" Gohan barked, as he took a step closer. "That name should mean something to you!"

"Oh yeah?! And why's that?!"

"You really don't remember me do you? Well, maybe I need to reintroduce myself!" Gohan smiled wickedly, and powered up to his Super Sayian form. Hercule's eyes went wide, and he backed up against the wall.

"Hey, how did you do that?! We're not in the ring…"

"No, we're not are we? You still think it's just some light trick Hercule? I don't see any mirrors or strobe lights in here! What's the matter? You look kind of edgy."

"I don't have time to deal with this!" Hercule stammered. "I have a title in dispute here!…"

Hercule motioned to walk around the Sayian, only for Gohan to grab him by the collar of his Gi, and slam him up against the wall. "You aren't going anywhere Hercule! You're going to stand there and listen to me, you got it?!"

Hercule's face looked panicked as he found he could barely move a muscle as he struggled behind Gohan's firm grip. "Who the heck are you?!"

"You know me well Hercule… Don't you remember the Cell Games? The delivery boy as you so delightfully put it!"

Hercule's face lit up with realization. "No… You're not…"

"Exactly!" Gohan shouted, with a flare of his energy. Hercule nearly pissed in his pants during the display. "The guy who killed Cell! While you hid behind a rock, and claimed to have stomach cramps! I nearly got killed along with all of my friends trying to keep that damn monster from destroying the planet, while you were cowering in the distance! Yet, you still somehow took it upon yourself to take all the credit after the fight."

It can't be… Hercule thought to himself, as Gohan's eyes pierced through him. They disappeared after the Cell Games! I thought they were gone for good! Somehow, I always feared they'd come back, and try to take revenge on me for taking all the credit for beating Cell… What am I going to do?! This guy doesn't exactly look happy!

"Well?!" Gohan snarled, waiting for a response from Hercule. "What do you have to say for yourself?!"

"I, I, I…. Please, I didn't mean any harm by it! I mean, you guys disappeared, and somebody had to take the credit! Please, don't hurt me! I've got money, lots of it! I'll give you anything you want if you just back off!"

"Why should I negotiate with you? Look, you've put me down, humiliated my family, and taken all the credit for something my father lost his life for! I don't give a damn about the fame, and I don't give a damn about getting recognition for beating Cell! It means nothing to me! What kills me is knowing how my father and my friends gave their blood, hearts, and souls to protect this planet, and a sniveling coward who hid behind a fucking rock gets rich and famous off of it, and apparently has no conscious over it whatsoever! And now you want me to back off! Like Hell Hercule! If I was anybody else, I would've blown your ugly face off by now!"

"Look, look, I'm sorry! If you'll just let bygones be bygones, then I promise I'll tell the entire world the truth! You have my word on my honor, just please don't do anything brash!"

"You have no honor you lying rat!" Gohan seethed into Hercule's face. "You proved that seven years ago, and just a few minutes ago when you tried to screw Ryo out of what he's earned! You're a worthless coward who's tried to piggyback his way through life on what others have accomplished! The sad part about it is, you are strong for a human who can't use Ki, and you just might've had something positive to contribute to society if you actually cared about somebody other then yourself! Your daughter's contributed more to the world in the last couple of years then you have your entire pathetic life! It's a shame too, considering how she's striving to be what she thinks you are in her eyes, and half the blind world's eyes for that matter! Look, I don't give a damn about Cell. Let the world keep thinking you beat him, I don't care. I've lived with it for seven years, and I moved past it. However, the one thing I will not do is stand back, and let you screw with my friends! You know you lost that match because he was stronger then you, and you know that this cheap BS story was the only way you could possibly hang on to your stupid little title! Well, I tell you exactly what you're going to do Hercule! You're going to go out there, and tell everyone that you lied and Ryo didn't cheat to beat you! You understand me?!"

"But, but I can't do that!" Hercule practically pleaded with him. "You don't understand, that title's my life…"

"Then get a new life!" Gohan shouted with flair of his Ki, shutting Hercule up instantly. "Like your daughter for instance, or has she become just another one of your publicity props? You listen here, if you don't go out there and admit the truth, then things are going to be a hell of a lot worse for you then just losing your title! If you don't, I'm going to go out there, and tell everyone in the crowd, and everyone watching at home that you're nothing but a spineless fraud!"

"What, no way!" Hercule barked. "There's no way you can prove any of that!"

Gohan smirked, and glared Hercule dead in the eyes. "How are you going to prove me wrong? Especially after I fling you into the sun! It's your choice Hercule. Either the hard way, or the really, really hard way. I can make life miserable for you, and enjoy doing it, so I win either way."

Hercule murmured low in his throat, looking absolutely terrified. "Okay, okay I'll do it! Just let go, and I promise I'll do it!"

"I'm going to hold you to that Hercule. Don't screw with me Hercule. I'm not violent by nature, but ask anyone who knows me, and they'll all tell you that you don't want to piss me off!"

"I promise, I promise!"

"Good… And one more thing…" Gohan almost looked cocky. "Videl and I have gotten rather close over the past few months, and might even be getting closer in the near future. Either way, I'm going to be spending a lot of time with her, and I don't want you giving her a hard time about it either got me?"

Hercule frowned, despite his vicarious position. "Now wait just a minute! Admitting I lied is one thing, but Videl is a completely different story you hear me?! You better stay away from my daughter or I'll!…"

Gohan's expression didn't waver. "Or you'll what?"

Hercule's face went stiff, and he sweat dropped. His lips pursed together in a feeble manner as he squeaked out. "Then I'd… have to ask you nicely to stay away from my daughter…"

Gohan smiled evilly, and shook his head no. "It's not negotiable. You heard my demands Hercule, and unless you comply with them I'm going to make your life a living hell. You can't hide from me, so don't even think about screwing me. I'll be in the car riding your butt from behind that keeps following you, and you just can't seem to shake. I'll be waiting in the tree outside your window at night just waiting for you to fall to sleep. I'll be in every nightmare you have until the day you finally get yours. Do you understand me?!"

Gohan tossed Hercule to the sidewall of his room, and his body nearly froze where it landed. Gohan powered down, smiled, and waved toward Hercule as he headed for the door seeming much more his normal self. "You might want to get out there, time's a wasting! Have a nice rest of the day Mr. Satan!"

Startled to see a young man walking out of Hercule's dressing room, a place that not even his daughter was allowed inside of without special permission, the monk dashed inside to make sure Hercule hadn't popped a screw lose or something. He found the former champ cowering near the far corner shaking violently, and pale as if he'd just seen a ghost. He was mumbling something incoherently, forcing the monk to place his ear in front of Hercule's mouth to hear him. "Pa…Pa…Pa… Need… Pa… Pa…"

"What was that sir? I can't quite make out what you're saying."

"Pa… Pa… Pants! I need pants! Now!"

"Oh right! I'll get you a pair right away!" The monk ran all the way out into the hallway before skidding to a stop. "Wait a second… Pants?"

----------

"You can't seriously be considering Hercule's accusation is true are you?" Goku asked the MC.

  
"I know it sounds fishy, but I don't have a whole lot of choice. Hercule's track record has gained him a lot of pull with the Tenkaichi's board of officials. He's earned the right to be heard, and we have to take this claim seriously."

"Oh, give me a break!" Krillen grumbled. "His own daughter says he's lying for Kami's sake!"

"We realize that Krillen," the MC said, as he adjusted his glasses. "We haven't made a decision on the matter yet, so please don't go on thinking like Hercule's already gotten his way. We're considering all the possibilities, so be patient."

"I'm sorry about this Ryo…" Videl said to him, sounding somewhat humble. "I don't know why my dad does stuff like this. I guess he's so used to winning, that he just can't accept that he finally lost."

"Yeah whatever… It's not your fault Videl, no need to apologize for him," Ryo told her. "Look, I don't even really care much about winning this stupid tournament, titles or trophies. If I could I'd let your father have them all… It's just the thought of him accusing me of cheating that really sticks in my craw. It's a low blow I tell you…"

"Sticks in your craw?" Videl chuckled. "Even when you're miffed, you have to be you huh?"

A small smirk curved upward on his lips. "Who says this is me?"

Videl tried to laugh, but her emotional resolve failed her. Her expression dimmed, clearly displaying a cloud of sadness spreading over her person. Noticing this, Ryo's expression toke a bleak turn along with her. "Is something wrong Videl?"

"Yeah, something's wrong!" Videl grumbled. "I always looked up to father… Hell, at one time I thought he could do just about anything… But after seeing what's happened here today, I'm not sure what to think of him anymore… It's like I don't even know who he is. Is he the brave and unbeatable hero I grew up thinking he was, or the big phony he looks like right now…"

"He's no different then he's ever been Videl… You're just finally seeing a part of him few people know about… Despite his faults, he is still your father Videl."

"That doesn't make me feel any better…" Videl mumbled, and folded her arms across her chest.

"Look on the bright side…" A frown creased over Ryo's brow. "It could be a lot worse. You're father could be a good for nothing drunk who can't hold down a job, and forgets how old you are on your birthday the one time he actually remembers it. At least your father's taken pretty good care of you, and he does care about you in his own strange egotistical way…"

"Do I sense some sort of hostility existing between you and your father?" Videl assumed. Ryo grimaced, and rolled his eyes, this letting Videl know that he didn't really wish to discuss this matter. "That's a sore spot for you huh? Well, when you put it that way I guess you have a point… I'm still pissed off though… Say, you've had a more interesting life then you let on haven't you?"

Ryo smirked at this. "I guess you can say that… Maybe I'll tell you about it someday, but not now. You're going to have a hard enough time adjusting to Gohan's life to worry about mine."  
  
"That's for sure…" Videl sighed. "I still want to know though."

"In due time… I won't be as interesting to you as Gohan's though. I'm sure your exchange will involve a few more intimate details than mine will."

Videl blushed, and frowned playfully. "Oh, shut up you pervert! It isn't going to be anything like that! I can't believe you'd even suggest that!"

"I didn't say anything like that, I was implying something else," Ryo said casually. "You were the one who decided to make it sexual."

"Don't play games! That's how you were hoping I'd react, and you know it!"

"Possibly, but you still brought it upon yourself."

"You are so full of crap!" Videl laughed. "Well… I think I'm going to go talk to my dad now… Maybe I can talk some sense into the big fake, if I can bare to look the man in the face that is…"  


"Just keep your cool Videl, and remember that no matter what he might've done he's still your father… I wouldn't claim him, but he's still your father…"

----------

Videl took a deep breath, as she stared down her father's door. She was still seething from what she had learned earlier in the day, but she was trying to stay calm for Ryo's sake. She was doing this for him, not to take out her frustrations on her father just yet… That could wait for another time. As for now, she'd just pretend things were normal, as hard as that was going to be. Finally, she rasped her knuckles against the door, and waited impatiently for her father to open the door. "Dad! Are you still in there?! It's Videl!"

A short moment of silence past, before Hercule chose to reply. "Oh, it's you sweet pea… Come on in…"

Something in her father's voice bothered Videl, driving her to open the door and enter a step quicker then normal. She strolled inside to find her father staring in the mirror, but the former champ didn't appear to be admiring himself as he normally did when he stared at his own reflection. More like studying the image looking back at him like he wasn't sure who he was. "Dad?… What are you doing?…"

"Videl… Would you please close the door," Hercule said solemnly.

Now Videl was really worried. She hadn't heard her father sound like this since the days after her mother passed away. She did as he requested, then approached him. "Is something wrong daddy?"

"Videl… What I'm about to tell you is hard for me but…" Hercule sighed, and looked at the floor. "I'm a fraud Videl… Nothing but a fraud…"  


"What do you mean?" Videl asked, trying to act dumb toward certain things. "I already know you were lying about you match with Ryo, but that doesn't make you a total fraud…"

"That's not what I mean… The last seven years… All the fame… All the money, all the publicity. It was all based on a lie… Because I took credit for something somebody else did, and made a name of myself with it…"

"What do you mean dad?" Videl asked, with a strong feeling as to what he was confessing. 

"I… I mean with Cell… I didn't defeat Cell honey… In fact, I didn't even ever actually engage him in a serious battle, unless you count that pathetic ten seconds it took for him to swat me halfway to Mongolia! I hid behind the rock for the rest of the fight like a coward, and watched a group of fighters stand in between that monster and the destruction of our very planet. I was completely worthless…"

"But why?!" Videl asked him having grown serious by now. She desperately wanted to know the reasons behind why he lied about Cell since that afternoon when she found out that it wasn't actually Hercule that defeated that monster. "Why did you take the glory for something you didn't even do! All those people look up to you for that, I looked up to you for that! Why did you lie about daddy?! Why?!"

"I'm not sure why Videl…" Hercule trailed off. "I kind of got swept up in the moment I guess. After the fight, all those other fighters disappeared from the battlefield, including the kid that did most of the fighting. By the time the reporters, news crews, and everyone else came I was the only person left standing. They all assumed I had defeated Cell like I claimed I was going to do, and they all started to congratulate me and celebrate the victory before I had a chance to explain to them that I didn't actually beat Cell… With all the attention I was getting, I just couldn't turn it away, so I started to live a lie… After a while I got so caught up in it, I think I actually started to believe that I really did kill Cell. It never bothered me either… The guys who fought him never came back to claim any responsibility for the fight, so there wasn't anything there to hang over my conscious. I never felt guilty about it not once, and was even proud of a false achievement… That was about up until a few minutes ago when that boy beat me… I knew I couldn't win even before I got in the ring with him, and I was so enraged by that fact that I made up that bullshit story about him cheating to try to save my own face… Then, he came back to me…"

"Who came back to you?"

"The boy who defeated Cell, or the young man he grew up to be anyway… He told me that he didn't care about me taking the credit for killing Cell, but he wasn't going to standby and let me screw over one of his friends because I was too proud to take the loss like a man… I don't know why, but he got me thinking…"

"Boy who defeated Cell?" Videl asked curiously. "Who was this boy? The one that they showed on TV near the battle scene?"

"Yeah… I know this is going to sound strange, but that eleven-year-old kid was the one who really killed that monster… Big old powerful Hercule here couldn't touch him, but that kid took him out for good… It's kind of embarrassing really…"

Now Videl's interest was peaking like never before. She wanted to know who this kid was, and she hoped her father could at least tell her that much. She had a sinking feeling she knew what she was going to hear already… "Tell me Dad… Who was this kid's this name?"

"I don't recall really… I think it was Gohan or something like that…"

Videl's eyes grew wide as saucers, and she went numb. Her mouth opened as if to speak, but nothing came out except for a shocked moan, leaving her jaw hanging there for a good fleeting moment. 

"I don't know what to do…" Hercule muttered, not even noticing his daughter's reaction. "The kid wants me to admit I lied about the other kid cheating during the match, or he's threatened to expose me…"

Videl seemed to snap back into reality, and had a quick answer for him. "Don't give him a chance to dad… You need to tell the world yourself. At the very least admit you were lying about the fight, so we can put this year's Tenkaichi to rest. You know how big of a mess this lie is going to make of things, and none of us deserve to go through that. Especially Ryo… He beat you fair and square dad… We can worry about the Cell thing later, right now first thing is first."

"I know…" Hercule said referring to both counts. "Well… I better get out there, and get this over with… It was a good run, but I'm afraid my career might be coming to an end…"

----------

"Tell us about these allegations of Hercule's that you used underhanded tactics to win the championship Ryo?" one of the reporters asked him.

Ryo frowned, and spoke into the microphone the man had shoved in front of his face. "I assure you they're completely false! I in no way cheated to beat Hercule!"

"But how can we be certain of that?" another media anchor asked. "Hercule has done so well in past tournaments it's hard to believe he'd go down after one punch."

Ryo frowned, and turned his head. "Look, I'm not answering anymore of this crap okay?!"

"Is that an admission of guilt?"

"Was that an admission that you're and idiot?! You people make me sick! A minute ago you were all kissing my ass like my shit didn't stink, and now you're all trying to railroad me because the ex-champ is a sore loser! Well I'm not putting up with this! I'll tell you what! You all can take those damn cameras and microphones, and stick them right up your…"

Before Ryo could finish threatening the media, an unexpected party burst onto the scene. "Stop everything! Hercule has returned!"

"It's Hercule everybody!" The reporters began to chime excitedly. "Maybe we can finally shed some like on this unfortunate controversy!"

"Um… Well, yeah, that's why I'm here…"

Ryo's eyes squinted low in typical anime fashion, a bead of sweat dripping down his forehead. "Great, what's he going to do now? Tell them I walk old ladies across the street just to push them in front of cars!"

"You see I ah…" Hercule began to mumble as he stared off at the massive crowd. Many in the front were reporters from various network channels around the world, and newspaper columnists. Of course very few people had left the arena from the crowd, anxious to see what was going to happen with the championship situation. Hercule hung his head, and did the unthinkable. He swallowed his pride and told the truth. "I lied about… What I mean to say is that the kid didn't cheat during our match this afternoon… I don't know why I said what I did… I was just so shocked to actually lose a fight after all these years that I guess I just overreacted to the entire situation. I apologize to all you fans for the deception, and to the champion and all the Tenkaichi officials for putting a strain on the proceedings here… I also apologize for my pathetic performance in the championship match, and I vow that by this time seven years from now I'll be poised and ready to return and reclaim my title!"

Though much of his speech was spoken in a hushed low tone, his final line was said with a passionate flair. Whether it was that fact, or his history of past heroics, the crowd seemed to buy into it and began to cheer. "Isn't that something else folks! A hero as legendary as Hercule is man enough to admit he wrongly accused his opponent of cheating in the finals, and in front of millions of people to boot! What a guy huh?!" one of the reporters exclaimed.

"What a crackpot maybe…" Killen grumbled.

"This is absurd!" Vegeta complained. "That fool just admitted he was nothing more then a lying weakling, and these ridiculous people are still cheering him!"

"Well you have to admit…" Goku said looking impressed, as he examined the crowd. "He is popular…"

"He actually admitted it!" Gohan marveled. "I can't believe it!"

"You haven't heard anything yet," Videl told him with a smile, knowing full well he was going to be shocked by what her father was about to confess next. At least she hoped he would anyway. As she expected, he wasn't having an easy time getting the words out."

"That's not all I have to say… You see, there's something I think I need to clear the air with… A few years ago I was in a battle with a monster called Cell as you all know…"

Gohan's eyes widened as he realized what Hercule might be getting at. He smiled at the thought of how after seven years of lies and deception, the truth might finally come to light in the eyes of the public. That was until he noticed something in the crowd. How hopeful and proud they all were with the man standing up there at the podium. He could almost sense the feeling of ease in some of the adults that felt like they were all safe in the presence of the great Hercule Satan, and the gleam of admiration in the eyes of the children looking on. For the last seven years, Hercule had been the greatest hero the world had ever known, and most every woman, man, and child looked up to him as such. He was the light of the world, and the model that every young aspiring youth looked to be once they reached adulthood. Now, all that was about to be squashed like a bug that gets too close to the dinner table. In mere seconds, they would all realize that everything they had looked up to, and believed in was all based on a lie from one egotistical man who couldn't resist jumping into the spotlight. Sure it was wrong for Hercule to build a life on the achievements of others, but it was also wrong to kill the hopes and dreams of so many just to ease the troubled minds of a handful of people that knew the truth. With Hercule struggling to come up with the words for his confession, Gohan decided he better act quick before the world as he knew it changed forever.

Gohan hopped up on the ring, and bounded over to Ryo who looked at him as if he knew exactly why he was up there. Gohan assumed Ryo must've been noticing the same things he had been. "We can't let him do this can we?"

"It's your call Gohan… This affects you more than anybody… If you want to stop him say the word, and we'll do it."

Gohan didn't answer right away. He looked over at Hercule who was in the middle of battling the conflicting voices of his ego and his conscious.

"It's just that um… As I said before, seven years ago I fought a monster named Cell and… I uh... I…"

"Was absolutely great wasn't he guys!" Ryo shouted out to the crowd, and patted Hercule on the back. Hercule looked back at the boy, wondering if the kid had gone out of his mind. He was even more shocked when the man he screwed the most himself came marching up to the other side of the former champ. 

"Yeah, he saved the entire world that day! We can't just forget about that now can we?!"

"Yeah," Ryo added. "He might've lost here today, but we can't forget what he's accomplished in the past."

Hercule looked at Ryo confused, and then back at Gohan, his expression asking the question his mouth had yet to create the words for. Gohan smirked slightly, and nodded his head. "Go ahead Hercule… You're a lot better at being famous for killing Cell than I ever would be, and frankly I don't want the publicity. It's better off for all us if the world thinks you defeated Cell anyway."

Hercule didn't have to be told twice. He immediately threw his arm up in the air, and roared out to the crowd. "That's right! And I vow from this day on to train as hard as I can, and regain my title at the next Tenkaichi! I still have to say that I think that was just a lucky punch but…" Ryo grunted, as Hercule put him in a semi-headlock. "But with the proper training from yours truly, this kid can definitely be the next big thing in martial arts competition!"

"Wonderful…" Ryo muttered, as Hercule flashed his signature V-sign with his free hand. Ryo's nose scrounged violently when it got too close to Hercule's under arm. "Damn, doesn't he ever use deodorant?"

After a few more seconds of playing to the crowd as they cheered on their old hero with newfound faith in him, Hercule finally let go of Ryo, and started out of the ring. He stopped next to Gohan, and without looking at him closed his eyes and spoke softly. "Hey Uh… Thanks kid… I guess I owe you one for this…"

Gohan smiled at this. "I think you owe me quite a few already…"

"I think I gave you enough when I agreed not to interfere with you and my daughter… Don't push your luck kid…"

"You have a point…" Gohan watched after the former champ as he disappeared somewhere inside of the arena. That was all he really wanted anyway.

********

"It sure has been fun guys," Goku said solemnly, his head hanging low towards the ground. "But my time has just about run out… It was really good to see all of you again, and I'll really miss all of you."

"And we'll miss you too," Chi-Chi cooed, and wrapped her arms around her husband's chest. A good thirty seconds later, Goku could tell how difficult it was for her to let go just by how tightly she was holding him. Not that it was any easier for him mind you. She backed away slowly, smiling through the tears in her eyes trying not to make the situation any harder than it already was. Little Goten however, just couldn't manage the same resolve as his much wiser mother could, and looked up with a pouty expression on his face towards the father he'd known for only one day.

"Do you have to go already?"

"I'm afraid I do Goten…" Goku said with a smile. "It was a big enough stretch for them to let me visit as long as I have, and I can't dare think to prolong that gift any longer then they've already granted me."

"Maybe we could visit you sometime from where you're at?" Goten asked hopefully.

Goku laughed at this. "Maybe someday Goten, but hopefully that won't be for years and years from now until you're much, much older. But I promise I will see you again before then."

Goku gave his youngest son a hug, and once again found himself reluctant to break apart, this time from a son he hardly even knew. He set him down next to his mother, who quickly took Goten by the hand. Goku had already said his goodbyes to his friends earlier in the night, including Piccolo, Krillen, Bulma, and Yamcha. Even Vegeta said good-bye to him in his own odd way, stating how he'd just have to wait for some other time to pound Kakarrot into the ground. Maybe it was selfish of him, but he wanted to save his family for last and say his good-byes to them privately. He even suggested Gohan should bring Videl along, assuming from what he had seen so far that the girl was probably going to be part of the family some day anyway. Whatever reason, she decided to stay back, probably to give Gohan some breathing room…

Speaking of which, Goku strolled over to his oldest son, who was shaking somewhat nervously. Goku embraced his boy, who hugged him back as his father spoke into his ear. "I'm very proud of you son. You've grown up into a fine young man, and you're exactly what I expected you to be… Take care of your mother and brother for me… And Videl for your own sake."

Gohan blushed at the later of Goku's statement, and slowly loosened his hold on his father. "I will dad… I wouldn't let anything happen to any of them…"

"I know… I would like to see you take your training habits more seriously however. Remember, that if this word is ever in danger, it's going to count on you to be able to help protect it. I don't want you slipping around all over the place like you did when you were in the ring with me."

"I will dad… I promise…" Gohan's eyes widened when he felt his hands slip through this father's solid form. His arms fell down to the sides, as he stared straight into the sad smile of his father as his physical form slowly began to fade away. Goku took one last look at Gohan, and then back over at his wife and youngest child. He gave them all one final wave before crossing back over into other world.   


"Good-bye my family… I love you all…"

"Bye daddy!" Goten waved back, while his mother tried not to cry as she held onto his hand. Gohan looked on sadly at the spot his father had just stood, and smiled weakly at his mother and brother.

"Well… He may be gone, but at least we got the time we did with him… If you'll excuse me, I need to go talk with Videl… I made a promise to her after all…"

----------

Gohan found Videl propped up against a tree staring out at the forest that surrounded the arena the Tenkaichi had been held in. "Right where I left you huh?"

Videl smiled up at Gohan, but her heart almost broke when she saw the gloomy look etched all over his face. "Hey Gohan… He's gone back huh?"

"Yeah… No need to dwell on it I guess… It's time to move on and concentrate on more pleasant things…" Gohan's eyes widened when he felt Videl's hand slip into his. The way her fingers wrapped around his skin so delicately, such a very soothing and comforting manner, he could almost forget that this was Videl who was doing it. Those just weren't words most people that knew her would use to describe her. Those were people who didn't know Videl on the inside however, and Gohan knew better. Gohan looked over at her, and noted the somewhat goofy smile on her face. She had never even bothered to look at him, as she seemed more interested in examining the stars that had gathered in the night sky. 

"It's sure pretty out here tonight isn't it?"

"Videl… I guess I owe you an explanation for everything that's been going on lately huh?"

A sad look fell over Videl's face, and she looked towards the ground. "You don't have to if you don't want… I can understand if you don't feel like talking about it right now."

Gohan smiled at this. For once it seemed as if Videl was trying to understand his feelings on the subject, especially with having to say good-bye to his father a second time. "No Videl, I made a promise, and I intend to keep it… Besides, I'm hoping getting this off my chest will make me feel better…"

Videl's expression perked up. "What do you mean by getting it off your chest? Is it something bad?"

"Depends on how you look at it. I've been feeling bad for quite a while about keeping all this from you…" Gohan sighed. "If I should be able to trust anybody right now it should be you…"

Videl blushed, and she tried her best not to smile. Her heart almost melted at those words, something she'd been wanting to hear from him for the longest time. "Okay then… I don't care how long it takes, and we have all night… So, where do you want to start?"

"I don't know… First of all, what all do you know about me already, so I don't repeat myself?"

Videl smiled, and continued to look up into the sky. "Well, quite a bit actually. I know you're half-Sayian, an alien race not of Earth obviously, and you were trained in martial arts by another alien named Piccolo. I also found out recently that Vegeta is the prince of the Sayian race, and I know that you're the son of Goku Son a former Tenkaichi Champion in his own right."

"Well, you already know half the story, so I don't see what you're still complaining about!" Gohan laughed. "I told you most of it myself already anyway."

Videl frowned playfully, and gave him an accusing look. "Oh yeah right! You haven't told me anything!"

"Actually yes I have," Gohan smiled knowingly. "I remember telling you that I was half-alien one day, and I also remember telling you that a certain green skinned alien blew up the moon. I also told you another time that I found you hiding in the park because I could sense your energy. I told you a lot of things like that, it's not my fault that you didn't believe me at the time I told you."

Videl's face went wide with surprise, remembering all three occasions and looked at him with a confrontational smile. "Well, that doesn't count! How was I supposed to know you were telling the truth back then?! I didn't know anything about all this Ki crap and junk!"

"I still told you. I never lied once, you should pay more attention when somebody says something to you."

An evil smile spread across Videl's lips. "Oh, but I have been listening Gohan… That's how I found out that my father really didn't defeat Cell all those years ago…"

Gohan suddenly looked nervous. "You do?… How do you know that?"

"Well, first I asked Ryo if my father really did beat Cell, and he told me the answer was no but he wouldn't tell me who actually killed Cell…" Videl turned her head, and looked Gohan straight in the face. "It was actually my father himself who admitted to me who really defeated Cell…"

"Oh, he did…" Gohan sweat dropped, more from the look she was giving him then the thought she might really know that he had destroyed Cell. "Who did he tell you?…"

Videl smiled, and turned her body completely around now to face his. "Eleven years old huh?… That's amazing… But then again, you are an amazing person aren't you?"

Gohan blushed, as Videl ran her fingers across his face. He had no idea what to say next, and whatever he tried was probably going to come out as nothing more then gibberish, but he did manage a few choppy syllables. "So… You know it was…"

"You? Yes, I do…" By this time, Videl had snuck her arm around the back of his neck. "But there is one thing I'm still not quite convinced of that I need you to reiterate for me… How do you feel about me Gohan?"

"Feel about you?" Gohan muttered nervously. "Well… I think about you as a really good friend, and well…"

"Well what?…" Videl's smile broadened to a point she was showing some teeth. "Just friends now Gohan? That's not what I heard you say in the doctor's room after Spopovitch beat the living hell out of me."

  
Now Gohan looked absolutely horrified. "You!… You were awake?!"

"Barely, but yeah…" Videl said, moving her face up closer to his. "The problem is, I'm not sure if I heard you right, so I need you to say it again… Now what did you say Gohan?"

"I said…" Gohan stammered, feeling Videl's face inch closer to his. So close they could smell what one another had for dinner that night. "I said I love you…"

"That's what I thought… That's good… Because I love you too…" Videl barely managed to squeak out, before their lips finally reached each other's. It took a moment for them to realize just what the heck had happened, and when they did Gohan threw his free arm around her back and pulled her body just close enough so it wasn't touching his. Videl grunted, but otherwise didn't complain as she allowed her lips to sink deeper pressing harder into his, still clutching on tightly to the hand she'd taken in an innocent attempt to comfort him. After some time, they finally parted leaving a flustered Gohan to stare at a somewhat smug looking Videl. 

"Is something wrong Gohan?" Videl chuckled.

"Um… Did that really just happen?"

"Yeah…" Videl replied, her cheeks flushing slightly herself. "You mean you don't know? Maybe one more will convince you…"

Videl kissed him again, this time deliberately pressing her body into his, something the boy had tried to avoid before. He tried to maintain his balance, but it was a little too late as the shock for her sudden action forced Gohan down to his but. Videl grunted and giggled into his mouth as she fell down with him, landing with a thump into his lap, her arms still latched firmly around his neck. Uncertain of what else he could do, Gohan simply held her there, and didn't even think to kiss back until about halfway through their lips original meeting. Videl seemed delighted by this, releasing an almost relieved sounding grunt. She'd been wondering if he just didn't want to kiss back, or if he just wasn't thinking about it. She also wondered as to why he kept his arms around her waist, yet kept his hand arched upward away from her back.

"Are you afraid to touch me?" Videl asked with a hard breath, after their mouths parted ways. 

"No… Well, maybe a little," Gohan admitted. "I was afraid you might hit me or something if I did something you didn't like…"

  
"I'm not going to hit you Gohan!" Videl laughed, and ran her hand through his hair. "You are such a dork… But you're my dork."

"You know that's the sweetest thing you ever said to me," Gohan smiled. "Yet, you still managed to insult me."

"It wasn't an insult Gohan… If you're a dork then the world needs more of them… Don't ever change okay?"

"I won't if you won't… So, are you ready for me to start the story?"

"Sure…" Videl cooed, and burrowed her head against his shoulder until she positioned it comfortably, her eyes parallel to his chin. "I'll try not to distract you too much…"

Gohan smiled, and looked up towards the stars. "Well… I guess it all started when my great-grandfather Gohan, yes I was named after him, found a baby in the forest…"

End.

-Ah sweet. You know this turned out a lot better then I thought it would. For once I'm completely happy with the way one my chapters comes across. It's a lot easier to right when you're completely into the subject matter. Hmm… Somebody finally noticed I never claimed Ryo in the disclaimer line… I wonder why that is?

__

Preview of Chapter 21 Things are beginning to get back to normal in the DBZ world, the day after the tournament commences… For about eight hours this is when a strange man approaches Gohan, Vegeta, Ryo, and Piccolo with an offer to come aboard his spaceship and compete in a universal space tournament were some of the best fighters in the galaxy have gathered. However, the Supreme Kai seems disturbed by their arrival, even enough for him to temporally forget about Babadi and Buu! What could be so important about this Nobuki, and what exactly does he have in store for the Z-senshi and the planet Earth?


	21. Chapter 21

-Whew, I didn't think I was ever going to finish this! In the next few chapters I promise I'm going to answer a few of the questions a few readers have been asking me about Buu, Taro, and etc. I wasn't ignoring anybody, just avoiding the questions because I didn't want to give away the story. I'm afraid the cutesy side stories are finished for the most part, as the story begins to take a more serious turn from now on out. 

-Note: There was a character named Ryo in Digimon? You learn something new everyday… Is that a Season 3 reference, because I stopped watching after 2. 

Disclaimer: Don't own DBZ, though they did offer to sell me Krillen for a Snickers bar and a half empty tube of Pringles. (Just kidding Krillen, jeez stop looking at me that way.)

Chapter 21

"After all that time studying at home my mom decided to send me to school, so I could at least make an attempt to be a normal teenager for a while. I wasn't all that wild with the idea at first, but looking back now I'm really glad she did that. That first day I met both you and Ryo, and my life has changed forever since then… In a good way, and now I'm glad it did… Especially with you." 

Videl blushed, and rolled around a bit in the makeshift bed she'd created in Gohan's lap, her head resting up against his abdomen. She stifled a yawn, and shut her eyes, barely able to keep them open a second longer. "I'm glad you did too… Though I'm too proud to admit it most of the time, I was lonely back then… I knew you were different almost from the start, and I'm glad I stuck with you… Are you sure everything you told me is true though? It sounds to me like you might've watched too many late night movies."

"No, it's all true Videl," Gohan chuckled, letting out a yawn of his own. "Now that I think about, it would make a damn good bio wouldn't it? I could probably make a fortune selling it off as a fantasy adventure novel."

Videl had nearly drifted off to sleep, when a bright ray of sunshine poured into her eyes, forcing them open once more. Gohan looked up sleepily as well, noticing the sun rising over their heads. "It's a good thing we did have all night…" Videl yawned. "That's exactly how long it took didn't it?"

"And whose fault is that?" Gohan smiled down at her. "I would've been done in a couple hours if somebody hadn't kept interrupting me, sometimes for upward to twenty minutes at a time!"

Videl smiled, too tired to do much of anything else. There were several times during the night where she momentarily lost interest in Gohan's story, finding his lips much more interesting every now and then. "Hey, I didn't hear you doing much complaining… We probably should get back to our rooms, and try to get a couple hours of sleep at least… I know one particular perverted world champion who is going to assume we were doing something other then talking when he sees us walking around like zombies in the morning…"

"I'm sure Krillen's going to have something to say as well… We are so in for it… So, was it worth it?"

Videl finally forced the strength to pick herself up, and looked him in the eyes. "A few hours of lost sleep to finally get this close to you? I'd say it was a bargain…"

Gohan smiled back at her, both gazing into each other's sleepy eyes and forcing one last kiss before calling it a night… Or a morning… Whatever it was, sleep was just an after thought right now. They were already living a dream as it was.

********

Ryo grunted restlessly, as he rolled around on what the Tenkaichi board considered a bed. Ryo wouldn't have called it anything more then what it was, a piece of cardboard slapped on top of a slap of wood. A few years back, the Tenkaichi board began supplying special private rooms in the arena for fighters and their families to stay in, just in case any of them were too weary to make the long trip home after a hard day of combat. Ryo and the rest of the Z-senshi took them up on the offer, except for Piccolo who returned to Dende's Lookout immediately after Ryo's coronation so to speak. Ryo had expected to have restless dreams that night. While much of the excitement would soon thin out for the other fifteen fighters, Ryo knew his nightmare was just beginning. The last thing he came to this tournament to do was win it… He was only supposed to help Gohan look out for Videl. Victory was not even an option in his mind, but then again he should've figured something like this would happen. The last thing he wants to happen always seems to be exactly what does happen almost every time. If he had come to tournament looking to win, he probably would've chocked during the qualifying session. Maybe that's the mentality he should've gone in there with, because that's just the way his luck was. He had already been forced into some sort of publicity stunt set to go down early that morning, which had become the custom for the Tenkaichi champion thanks to Hercule. To make sure he woke up in time for the event, Bulma lent him a gift specially made to get overly strong men out of bed in the morning. The handy dandy Vegeta alarm clock. Not only was this piece of technological genius sculpted in the image of the Sayian Prince, it had a method of waking it's owner in a very Vegeta like manner as well.

The digital numbers sprawled out across the chest of the Vegeta clock flashed 9:00 am, signaling for the very persuasive alarm to go off. "WAKE UP NOW! GET YOUR BUTT OUT OF BED BEFORE I BLAST YOU INTO THE NEXT DIMENSION YOU INCOMPETENT FOOL!"

Ryo groaned sleepily, and rolled over ignoring the clock's orders. However, much like the real Vegeta, this clock was not about to be ignored.

"OH, LAZY HUH?!" With that, two laser beams shot from the eyes of the alarm clock, zapping Ryo right in the rear end. Ryo flew up into the air, barely avoiding crashing through the ceiling before falling back onto his bed. With a growl, Ryo turned around sharply, and gave the frisky little machine what was coming to it by blasting it into the next dimension. A big black mark was left singed into the wall behind the dresser where a hole might've been instead if it hadn't been so early in the morning. 

"Damn piece of junk! That's the last time I borrow anything from Bulma! Gohan sure wasn't kidding when he warned me about her…"

********

"Hurry up woman! I don't want to spend any longer on this lousy rock then I absolutely have to!" Vegeta barked, after he finished loading up the air bus. Bulma turned towards him just long enough to sneer. 

"We'll be leaving soon enough, just keep your pants on Vegeta! As soon as Gohan and Ryo get back we can leave."

"Why? They can fly, let them worry about getting themselves home!"

"We're waiting Vegeta! Now get on the bus, and stop your whining!"

"Are you sure you don't want to fly home with us?" Gohan asked through a yawn.

"No, I better ride home with my dad," Videl mumbled, fighting through heavy eyelids. "I'm still mad at him, but what he did or at least tried to do was the right thing… I guess I forgive him… Besides, I'll have a better chance of getting some sleep if you're not there to distract me…"

"You have a point Videl… I'll miss you though…"

"You won't for long, I promise…" Videl said, and gave him a peck on the cheek. She lowered her head down on his shoulder, and practically passed out on her feet. "We better find Ryo soon, I don't know how much longer I can keep my eyes open… He could be anywhere around this arena…"

"Yeah…" Gohan mumbled, as his head turned towards a grassy area to his right. "Or he could be sitting right over there underneath that tree…"

Videl forced her eyes to focus on the area Gohan had pointed out, and sure enough noticed part of Ryo's backside poking out from the cover of the trunk of a large tree. He easily stood out because the purple training Gi he was wearing. Videl remembered having laughed at this when it crossed her mind the night before, thinking that it probably made sense that Ryo won the tournament. A guy had to be pretty tough to wear purple into a fighting tournament that consisted of mostly burley macho men. She'd have to remind herself to ask him about that later. "Oh good… Let's get him, and go home."

Ryo felt Gohan and Videl's Ki approach from behind him, but didn't bother to turn in their direction. His eyes stayed focused on the forest in the distance, but for all he knew a desert could've suddenly poured down from the sky onto the landscape without him being none the wiser. Just the look in his eyes alone would tell you he was thinking rather then looking, and whatever it was seemed to have dropped a heavy load on his mind. He held the Tenkaichi championship belt he won the day before, hanging loosely in his hand with part of the strap brushing softly against the grass.

"There you are Ryo, we've been looking all over for you…" Gohan mumbled, as he and Videl approached him. "What have you been up to anyway?"

"Ah just thinking…" Ryo muttered absently. 

  
Concern washed over the faces of both his friends. That tone of voice, and his expression sure didn't give him the look of somebody hours removed of being crowned martial arts champion of the world. "Is something wrong Ryo?"

"Yeah, you should be happy shouldn't you?" Videl added. "Winning the biggest martial arts tournament in the world isn't any small thing you know! Can't you at least smile?…"

"I probably should be shouldn't I?" Ryo laughed weakly. He just couldn't manage that smile, at least not until he looked up at Gohan and Videl that was. His mood brightened a bit at the sight of them. Videl's head was practically using Gohan's shoulder as a pillow with their hands locked together firmly, to hold each other up right as much as anything, and not to mention that their eyes were glazed over and puffy like they hadn't seen sleep the entire night. If Ryo had been more himself at that time, his sharp mind would've surely come up with some sort of witty or embarrassing comment to bring some brighter coloring into their cheeks. Oh well, he'd be sure to get them later when he was in a better mood. For now he'd just settle for something more elementary. "Well, look at you two. What in the world were you two up to last night?"

He got the color anyway, just not as much as he might've gotten in another situation. Gohan smiled oddly and sweat dropped, but didn't bother to let go of Videl's hand. No point in being embarrassed by it anymore he guessed. "Yes, we were up all night Ryo, but it's not what you're thinking… We were just talking. I told her my life story pretty much, and you know how long that can take…"

"Yeah, but not all night…" Ryo teased.

Gohan blushed a bit more, while Videl smiled evilly instead. "Don't bother telling him anything Gohan, it's none of his business. Let's let him sit here, and wonder what we did. He can think whatever he wants…"

A few seconds passed with no reply from Ryo. Now Gohan and Videl knew for certain something was wrong with him. He never passed up on an opportunity to engage in a verbal battle with Videl, his favorite sparring partner in that form of combat, and that meant never. Worried, Gohan shook off his sleepiness, and took a seat next to Ryo. Videl did the same on the other side of him, but didn't do so well at masking how exhausted she really was. "Okay Ryo, what's the deal? There's absolutely no reason for you to be depressed at all right now… You're the world champ for Kami's sake, so what's the problem?!"

"You think I would be wouldn't you?" Ryo sighed, as he lifted up the title belt to look at. "I just can't seem to be proud of myself for it you know? I don't feel like I deserve it… This is supposed to symbolize the best martial artist in the world, and I'm not it. Admit it Gohan, it you hadn't gotten disqualified in your match I never would've won this thing… If I would've had to of faced your father, Vegeta, or Taro in the earlier rounds I never would've even made it to the finals to begin with… I won it all based on luck, and I don't take a lot of pride in being lucky… Look at the way I won the damn thing anyway! Don't take this personally Videl, but I beat a guy I could've literally beaten blindfolded with both hands tied behind my back!"

"None of that mater's Ryo…" Gohan said, analyzing every word that left his friends mouth. "You know full well how the Tenkaichi works. Half the battle involved with winning the tournament is getting a good position in the draw. Just because you had one easy match, and didn't have to fight with any of the fighters that could've beat you shouldn't leave you with a false sense of achievement. You still won!"

Videl yawned yet again. "He's right Ryo… The bottom line is that you went into the ring and you won win it counted… You can't control the way the other matches turn out… You should feel proud of yourself… Come on, pat yourself on the back a little! Just think of how many people you'd impress if you took that belt back to your home town…"

"Yeah I probably would impress a few people…" Ryo said, and lowered the belt down into his lap. "If fact, I might shock a few people to death. That doesn't mean anything to me though… There's only two people I'm out to impress… One of them is me, and the other's well…"

Gohan smirked slightly, assuming he knew whom the other person was. "You don't think she'd be impressed by that?"

Ryo frowned at this. "Are you kidding?! She'd probably be appalled at me for voluntary taking part in some sort of barbaric fighting tournament as she'd probably call it. Then she'd get mad at me for putting my own body at risk…" Ryo smiled at that part. "I guess I'm just not a true warrior like you and Videl are… I don't fight because it's in my blood like with you guys, I only resort to it when I absolutely have to… I guess I just can't get the same sense of satisfaction that a normal fighter gets from a meaningless victory… Depending on the meaning that particular fighter gets from a particular fight that is…"

A short silence followed, and the slow cycle of thoughts flowing through tired minds continued. Eventually, Videl looked over at Ryo through hazy eyes, and asked him a question that seemed to symbolize the combined mood of the trio rolled up into one stupid out of place question. "Hey Ryo… Why do you wear a purple training Gi?"

Ryo looked at her in disbelief, and nearly laughed. Gohan replied for Ryo before the boy had a chance to come up with his own answer. "Maybe he just likes purple."

"Are you kidding?!" Ryo seethed, with a disgusted look on his face. "I hate purple! I can barely stand to look at myself in the mirror when I wear this thing!"

"Then why do you wear that color then?" Videl asked.

"Convenience," Ryo responded. "My Ki in visible form is usually purple,, so it blends in well with the purple uniform… In other words, it kind of helps keep people from freaking out."

"Oh…" Videl said, before her mouth went wide with another yawn. "I better be getting back to my dad's plane… He'll want to leave soon… Well, I'll see you guys later okay… Ryo feel better, or I'll smack you around… And Gohan…"

"Yes?" Gohan asked, with an innocent smile on his face. 

Videl crawled over to him, and pulled his face forward by the collar of his shirt. "I love you."

Ryo's eyes widened, as the couple shared a short kiss just inches in front of his own face. He might not have believed his eyes any other way. Their mouths parted ways to reveal a smirk that they seemed to trace across Ryo's face, as their lips parted. "What the hell exactly did you two do last night?!"

"I told you, we were just talking," Gohan said, as he settled back into a comfortable position, and watched Videl off as she disappeared into the distance. "Whether you want to believe it or not, besides a little kissing here and there, we were completely innocent."

"Well, that's your story…"

Gohan's brow furrowed at the halfhearted way Ryo's words left his mouth. "Ryo… Is something else going on here besides your self-doubt about deserving to be champion? Videl's gone, so it's just you and me… Is something else bothering you?"

Ryo paused, and for a moment it looked as if he wasn't going to answer. Then, all of the sudden, his lips began to move and sort of sputtered out a reply. "I feel… I feel guilty…"

"You feel guilty?" Gohan asked, looking confused. "What on Earth do you have to feel guilty about?!"

"Well it's just…" Ryo looked down at the belt one more time before continuing. "You know there's some people like Hercule and others that work their entire lives to one day call themselves a champion. You know, it's their dream, and it would probably be the highlight of their life to hold this piece of tin in my hand… That's why I feel guilty. I took that dream away from somebody, and I could care less about this damn thing. I don't even want to be a champion, yet somehow…"

"That is true Ryo, but I think that one day you're going to look back on all of this and be proud of yourself. Yes, there were probably many others that wanted that title your holding right now a lot more than you did, but they can't all be champion Ryo. It's supposed to signify the best on the planet, or at least one of them in this case, and right now you're it. You'll get used to the distinction, and I'm sure the media won't bother you as much. Especially if you brush them off and ignore them, instead of eating the attention up like Hercule did. The fact that everyone thinks he defeated Cell doesn't hurt his cause much either…"

"Look, it's not the media that bothers me… I can always hide from them, but the one person I can't avoid is myself…" Gohan wanted to say something in response, but Ryo's lips continuing to move before he could get the words out. He already knew what Gohan was going to say anyway, and in affect answered his unasked question. "What I mean by this is, I can't avoid the feeling that something just isn't right… I don't know what's wrong with me, but I can never feel content or proud of anything I accomplish. It's like no matter what I do I always seem to find some little thing that pops up like a zit on prom night, that makes anything I do seem unnatural, like it wasn't supposed to be this way. I can never do anything good enough to please myself, and I'm always looking over my shoulder waiting for the rightful owner of the place in life I'm standing in to come reclaim their spot…"

"Sounds to me like you're getting a little paranoid," Gohan chuckled jokingly. "That and you suffer from a serious self-esteem problem…"

"I wouldn't go that far…" Ryo scoffed. "I don't think everybody's out to get me, and I like who I am… Then again, I probably wouldn't have tried to change myself over the years so much if I was completely satisfied with whom I was. I've tried to be more sociable, I've even tired cracking jokes and being funny to fit in… Despite how much I've tried to change over the years, I still look in the mirror and see the same dorky teenager who used to sit alone in the back of class and never talked to anybody… I haven't really changed all that much, I'm just a little less afraid of the outside world. Still, hardly anybody knows who I am, and those who do usually ignore me and some even like to pretend like I don't even exist. It doesn't bother me all that much, but sometimes I get a little annoyed at the reasons why… So what if I'm a little shy at first, I'm normal once you get to know me. I don't understand why every one looks at it like it's some kind of disease or something, because that's the way you get treated! Unless you're a bad ass, or a Don Juan or something it's like you don't even matter. I never even really wanted to be noticed, but if I ever was I wanted it to be for who I was, not because I can punch out some big loudmouth gorilla in front of millions of people!… I don't know why things like this depress me, I guess I'm just complicated…"

"I won't argue with you there…" Gohan muttered, looking like he wanted to pound his head against a tree or something to that nature. He listened well to every word Ryo said to him, and tried hard to process something helpful or motivating to say to him. However, his poor brain was just too exhausted to compute such a complicated issue at the time, and was practically screaming at him to worry about his matter later in the form of a nasty headache. "I wish I could think of something helpful to say to you, but all my brain wants to do now is sleep…"

"You look it too," Ryo noticed. "Say Gohan… Since we're on the subject, what's your dream? I mean, what do you want to do with your life?"

Gohan's brain groaned again at yet another question requiring it to think. Thankfully, this brainteaser wasn't nearly as difficult to process as the one before, so Gohan fielded the question with little difficulty. "Well…I don't really know exactly… My mother sure has picked out a lot of goals and dreams she has for me, from everything from a doctor to an astronaut!"

"Yeah, but I'm not talking about what your mother wants you to be… I'm asking what do you want to do with *your* life… From your perspective, and not influenced by what your mother has told you, you want or need to be."

Now Gohan's head really hurt. Even despite his weariness from lack of sleep, he still felt inclined to dwell on that thought… Because he'd never really given it much thought before… What did he want to do with his life? He was glad his mother had everything all planned out for him, because he hadn't an idea in hell where his future was headed. "To tell the truth, I haven't really thought about it much… I guess something will strike my fancy eventually… Maybe I'll get into something in particular once I get into college… To tell you the truth, if anything I'd just like to be like my father. Not the way he lived his life per say, but what he stood for and how he always stood up for anyone who couldn't help themselves… If I can look back on my life forty years from now, and see that I've lived up to his legacy I think that's all I really need to be happy… Whatever career I take on along the way is almost secondary… That might sound a little strange, but I guess I'm not what you'd call a dreamer…"

"I don't think it sounds strange at all," Ryo smiled. "In fact, it sounds rather noble…"

"Thanks… So, what about you Ryo? What's your dream? Knowing you, I'd bet it's pretty complicated huh?"

"Actually no… It's rather simple actually, but especially as of late, I always seem to stray away from that path…"

"What do you mean by that?" Gohan asked curiously. 

Ryo sighed, unsure of how he could put his feelings into words. "Well… All I ever wanted to be was normal…I wanted to grow up, get married, have kids, and just live a normal life… It's strange because from almost the day I was born, it became pretty much obvious that a normal existence was never in the cards for me… How many legitimate psychics are out there anyway?! It's strange because a few years ago when I could hardly defend myself from a hungry mosquito, I wished there was a way I could help when these evil forces popped up all around Earth… That's the way my life is, I'm always contradicting myself… It's like I can never be satisfied, I wish things were one way and when I finally get that wish, I wish things were the way they used to be again, and if that ever happens I'll probably want things the way they are right now again… I guess that I'm a lot happier now knowing I can make a difference when it's needed, than I was just sitting around and feeling helpless all the time… Still, one of these days I hope that eventually I can at least live one day of my life where I don't have to worry about psychic powers, fighting tournaments against loud mouth world champions, who my real family is, alcoholic step-dads, psycho ninja assassins in pajama's running around trying to kill people, or insane monsters from another dimension bent on taking over the world! On a more ordinary note, I'd just like to be able to talk to a stranger without getting nervous, or have the spine to call and tell a friend happy birthday! Hell, I wonder if she even noticed I never did…"

"That does sound nice doesn't it?" Gohan asked, having felt a lot of the same things Ryo had just mentioned at one time or another. "But like you said, it's a lot more satisfying to be part of the action than it is watching it from the sidelines… That, and somebody has to stand up and fight even when the odds seem overwhelming. Most people can't defend themselves when someone like the Ray Lien Ninjas, or Cell threatens the Earth. Somebody has to stand up and fight for them, and who are we if we can but don't just because it's an inconvenience. Sure I'd love to live my life without having to worry about somebody coming along bent on destroying the planet… But that threat is always there, and we have to be on our toes if the possibility does come to light. We can't just ignore it and turn our backs because we're tired of having to deal with it. I tried to do that once when I was younger, and it killed me to know how much I let my friends down because I was too afraid to face my fears… When there are so many people counting on you, even when they don't know it, you have to at least try… Running away, and hiding the truth may come easy to someone like Hercule, but for people with pride like us, we might as well crawl into a cave somewhere and die… Living a semi-ordinary life would be nice though… I don't think either of us can ever live normal lives like you said… I'd like to get married and have a family some day, and when I do I'd love to see this world a safe place to live in… Luckily, I can do a lot to help make sure it is."

Ryo smiled slightly at this. "That is a nice thought… As for the family thing, I think you've gotten off to a good start on that! At least better than I have anyway."

Gohan blushed, and smiled through his embarrassment. "Maybe, maybe not, but I hope so… What can I say Ryo?… I guess some dreams do come true. But in a lot of ways we have to take action, and play a part in making those dreams come true. Maybe that's why you're so frustrated, because you haven't been able to pursue the dreams you really want. I can understand your fear, but I can't understand why you always talk so grimly of yourself. If you'd just show the side of yourself you show to Videl and I, and you wouldn't have many problems at all."

"That's the thing, I can't act that way around everybody. Only people I know really well, and there's not many people I've had the opportunity to get close to… You and Videl were the only people around here that would give me a chance… You didn't immediately stamp me as a loser or a nobody because I was kind of shy, and didn't socialize much at first. Unfortunately, that's the treatment I get an awful lot. I don't really care much about it, but that's just the way things are."

"Tell me about it, I've lived that too," Gohan snickered, then yawned. "Still, you should go after what you want Ryo… So what if it doesn't work out? At least you tried. Think about it, what would be worse? Crashing and burning, or finding out later that you could've had what you wanted and let it go?"

Ryo blushed and frowned slightly, turning his head away from Gohan. He knew exactly as to what, or to whom rather, Gohan was referring to. "How did this conversation turn to that all of the sudden?"

"Just stating my point," Gohan smirked. "I just want to see you happy Ryo. You did a lot to help me, now I want to see you help yourself that's all…"

"I wish it was that easy…" Ryo mumbled.

"Hey, maybe we should be getting back to the airbus," Gohan suggested. "Bulma's probably getting tired of waiting, and I know for a fact that Vegeta will be. Unless we want to fly all the way home ourselves, we better get moving."

"Sounds good to me." Ryo sat up quickly, pleased that this conversation wasn't going to go any further into that topic. "I'd love nothing more then to leave this all behind me…" Ryo took a long look at his newly acquired belt. He had considered chucking it into the ocean, but on second thought decided it might be better if he held on to it for now… At least until the next would be champion came around to claim it in another seven years or so.

********

"Hey Videl! I thought you were leaving with your dad!" Gohan greeted a sleepy Videl as she appeared near Bulma's airbus. 

"Dad's not ready to leave yet," Videl yawned, as she propped herself up against him causing Gohan to blush. "So I figured I'd come and see you off…"

"Well, I appreciate it," Gohan smiled. "You know you're more then welcome to…"

"Are you insane?!" Gohan was cut off, when he heard the sounds of Ryo barking in the distance. He'd been pulled to the side by a couple of men in expensive looking suits as the others were packing up the airbus. Whatever the men had to tell him, apparently Ryo wasn't very enthusiastic about it from the sound of things. "There's no way you're selling these damn things! You can't just go ahead and make these without my permission, yet you went ahead and made them anyway! You've got to put a stop to this right now!"

"I'm sorry sir, but I'm afraid it's too late to stop. We've already massed produced the product in question, and they are currently being shipped out to stores around the country as we speak."  


Ryo's eyes widened in shock, and horror. "Mass produced! I just won the Tenkaichi not 24 hours ago, how could you have already massed produced them!"

"Hey, what can I say? We're good."

A huge sweat drop hung over Ryo's head, as the men used the momentary distraction to sneak away. Ryo didn't bother to go after them, fearing there was nothing he could do to change things anyway. In the meantime, Gohan and Videl walked up to him wondering what in the world the commotion was all about. "Why is this happening to me?…"

"What's the matter Ryo?" Videl asked, surprising the boy somewhat. Ryo looked back at his two friends, and shook his head dejectedly. "Things are getting out of control! This is too much…"

"Come on, thing's aren't getting out of control Ryo," Gohan told him. "Don't you think you're exaggerating a little bit?"

"Exaggerating?! It hasn't even been a day yet, and they've already made me an action figure!" Ryo barked, as he stuck out the foot long plastic toy sculpted in his image. "To make things worse it even talks!"

Ryo pulled the string on the back of the toy, and his little action figure responded in a deep burly voice. "I am Ryo! Slayer of champions! Bow down before me!"

Ryo's eyes widened in surprise, and his face churned in disgust. "I don't talk like that!"

"That's what you're so worried about?!" Gohan laughed while he smiled in amusement. "Come on, it's not that bad… You'd think you'd be flattered."

"Well, let's see how flattered you are! They made one of you too!" Ryo barked, shoving the miniature Gohan doll in its likenesses face. Gohan's eyes widened in horror, and he swiped the toy from Ryo's hand.

"You've got to be kidding me?!"

Ryo smiled knowingly. "Nope, it's a box set. Two for the price of six."

"But don't I have some kind of say in this?! They can't just mold me into a toy, and sell me without some sort of verbal agreement at least can…" Gohan paused, and examined the figuring closely. The body structure of the doll was big and bulky, and the face resembled Vegeta more closely then it did him. At least the hair and clothes were close… "This doesn't even look like me!"  


"Oh, come on guys, I think they're cute!" Videl laughed, and took the toys from them. "If you two don't like them, then I'll take them off your hands. I have an action figure of myself and my dad at home already. I'll kind of have a entire set now sort of…"

"Well, I'm glad someone's enjoying this," Ryo grumbled. 

"What are we going to do about this?" Gohan whispered to Ryo. "I don't want anybody playing with that stupid thing! I never even agreed to it!"

"And you were wondering why I was upset!" Ryo grumbled, but smirked thoughtful. "You know there might be a way to stop this… Technically, nobody will be able to buy these things if that truck never completes its shipment…"

"What are you suggesting?" Ryo leaned over and whispered something into Gohan's ear. Gohan smiled, and nodded his head before they both took off like bullets to the air.

"Hey, where are you guys going?!" Videl called after them.

"Ah… We have some business to take care of," Gohan said, as he stopped to face her. He waved her good-bye, before taking off to catch up with Ryo. "Tell my mom and Bulma we'll be right back! See you later Videl!"

For a moment Videl tinkered with the thought of flying after them, but her body was just too tired to correspond with that notion. With her eyelids failing her once again, she yawned and headed back for her father's jet. "Never mind, I don't think I want to know."

********

"Where the heck are those brats?!" Vegeta snarled, after yet another two hours of waiting for Gohan and Ryo to get their butts on the airbus. "We should've left hours ago, what the hell are they doing?!"

"I don't know, but I'm sure they'll be back any minute," Bulma replied. "Show some patience, I want to leave just as bad as you do."

"I've just about run out of patience! I'd fly home by myself if I wasn't sure the little fools will show up the second I leave!"

As it turned out, Bulma was right on this occasion as a few minutes later the two missing boys set down next to the aircraft, and in front of Vegeta and Bulma. 

"It's about time!" Vegeta snorted, and walked onto the airbus. "Now let's get the hell out of here!"

"Where have you two been anyway?" Bulma asked.

"Umm… Nowhere…" Gohan said unconvincingly.

"We just had some business to take care of, we can go now," Ryo said, managing to sound more confident than Gohan had.

"Oh really," Bulma said suspiciously. She'd known Gohan since he was a boy, and knew that look on his face very well. It was his I just did something I wasn't supposed to, and now I'm afraid I'm going to get caught expression. "Well, I guess I'll take your word for it then… Your mother might be a different story though…"

----------

Hercule's private jet had taken off a little less then an hour before Gohan and company left the arena. Videl was sleeping soundly in her chair until some rough turbulence the plane had flown into stirred her from her sleep. Her eyes shut almost immediately, and the only thing keeping her from drifting back to sleep was the sound of her father's radio… Leave it to Hercule to be too inconsiderate to put on headphones while his daughter was trying to get some shuteye. However, it wasn't the radio itself that kept her awake, but rather the story being aired on the news. 

"In a rather odd story this afternoon, a truck carrying of load for children's toys manufactured by the W.E.S.C.R.E.W.U. Corporation was in a mysterious accident today on a rural mountain road near Highway 64. While the driver is reported to be just fine, the entire load on his truck was completely destroyed when a strong gust of air forced the vehicle off the side of the road, and was sent crashing to the rocky crevasse below. In related news, the same factory that produces the toys the truck was hauling, suffered mysterious malfunctions to equipment today that are putting an indefinite halt on the production of the Tenkaichi 25th edition action toys line."

"They didn't!" Videl's eyes widened as the reporter finished the newscast. Videl smiled, and her eyes began to droop again. "Then again, I wouldn't put it beneath them… They are so pathetic some times…"

********

"Actions figures!" Chi-chi barked, as Gohan finished telling her his toy story as of sorts. "I can't believe the nerve! How dare those people!"

"That's what we said mom! They did it without even asking our permission," Gohan continued, thankful his mother was on his side. At least he thought she was…

"I mean think about this! We should've been racking in royalties out the wazoo from this, and they weren't even going to let us in on the deal! How greedy some people are I tell you!"

Gohan sweat dropped at his mother's somewhat hypocritical statement. "Yeah, it is amazing isn't it?…"

Chi-chi turned around, and rolled back in her seat that was next to her father the Ox King. Gohan, sat back in his, and took a peek at Ryo from the corner of his eye. There was something he'd been dying to ask him ever since their conversation about dreams and responsibilities earlier that morning. He'd refrained, worried that it might be a sensitive subject for his friend. Ryo had never mentioned it before, and wondered if it just sort of slipped out on accident. Still, he had to ask before the unasked question drove his sleepy mind insane. "Hey Ryo?… Can I ask you something?"

"Sure, fire away…"

"Did your mom ever get divorced, and remarried again?"

Ryo looked confused. "Not that I know of… Why?"

"Because you mentioned earlier while your were ranting that your father was your step-father… And something about your real family…" Gohan said slowly. He looked back at Ryo, and saw the blush creeping across his cheeks.

"Did I say that?" Ryo laughed weakly. "Man, I must not have been thinking to let that slip loose…"

"So, he is your step-dad?"

"Sort of… Technically he's my foster father… I was adopted, but my step parents raised me most of my life, so I try to stay respectful… I just don't feel right calling him my dad a lot of times because of a few of his problems…"

"You were adopted?" Gohan asked sounding surprised. "You never mentioned that before…"

"I don't talk about it much… I've only known for a couple of years myself… It's no big deal really. I've come to expect this kind of thing by now… Especially during that time of my life. Hearing news like that was pretty much just a normal Wednesday for me."

"But don't you ever wonder about your real family?"

"Of course I do! Then again, there are other times when I think I might be better off not knowing anything about them… Even if I really wanted to find out, it would be near impossible anyway…"

"Why is that?" Gohan asked. "Can't you just go to the place you were adopted from, and ask them to search through their records?"

"I've already tried that," Ryo mumbled, sounding somewhat annoyed. "You see, I was put up at Southern Tokyo children's home, and it's located in the part of town where that big tornado came through a few years back. While the building managed to stay standing, a lot of their files and records didn't survive the storm. Mine got lost in the wind… I don't worry about it much though. If it was meant to be then…"

Ryo paused, at the feel of a very strong presence appearing somewhere on Earth. Gohan sensed it too, and immediately any other train of thought they might have been on was completely derailed. Whatever it was, it was strong and mysterious… Kind of eerie in a way…

  
Vegeta's head darted upward at the feel of a very strong Ki, and whoever it was he wasn't going about the trouble of keeping his power level hidden. Vegeta poked his head towards the back, and saw Ryo and Gohan rotating their heads around as if trying to put a lock on the unseen force. This was all the reassurance the prince needed to know he wasn't just imagining things. For some reason unknown to him, maybe just for his amusement, he looked towards Krillen to see if he had picked up on anything either. He snarled when he saw what he expected, the little humans usual stupid smug grin, apparently oblivious to anything that might be going on around him. Stupid weak human, Vegeta thought to himself. A tornado could sneak up on that clown, and he wouldn't even know it until he was sucked inside of it. He looked back towards the boys, who were now looking at him as if searching for the same form of conformation that Vegeta had from them just seconds before. The Sayian Prince nodded his head towards them, and turned back around in the passenger seat to address his wife.

"Land this scrap heap immediately woman!"

"Don't order me around!" Bulma snapped. "Still, why do you want me to land though?"

"Because there's something out there, and it's strong," Vegeta explained. "We need to check out what it is, just in case it might decide to check us out first."

For once Bulma didn't argue, and brought the airbus to the ground once she found a decent place to land. Vegeta wasted little time disembarking from the aircraft, followed by his wife and son, a curious Gohan and Ryo, and finally by the rest of the crew who were wondering what in the blue hell was going on.   
  
"What's going on around here?!" Chi-chi growled, as she exited the craft, holding on to a sleepy Goten's hand. "Why did we stop?!"

"Something's headed this way," Vegeta explained gruffly. "I'd rather have my feet on the ground and be prepared when it gets here, not a sitting duck in some poorly designed human made rust bucket!"

"Hey, I designed that airbus Vegeta!" Bulma growled at him.

"I know, that's how I know it's a piece of junk!"

"Whoa, whoa, hold on a second!" Krillen jumped in front of Vegeta more because he wanted to know what was going on rather then breaking up the fight. "What do you mean something is coming this way?! Personally, I've had enough surprises for one weekend to last me a lifetime, so can you guys tell me what's going on?! Gohan, Ryo, do you guys feel something too?"

Ryo nodded his head, while Gohan asked. "You mean you can't sense it Krillen?"

"No, I can't sense a thing!" Krillen yelped.

"Of course he can't!" Vegeta snarled. "He couldn't even sense how strong Taro, Shin, and those two other fools from the tournament were, and they were right under his nose!"  


"Hey, so I'm not as good as you guys are at this, so sue me!" Krillen paused, and looked up at the sky. "Hey, I do feel something…"

Everyone looked up towards the sky, and their eyes beheld the sight of a distant figure heading towards the area. While most of the group looked on with interest, Gohan and Ryo immediately eased up, while Vegeta appeared as if he could care less. Even Krillen's mind was put to ease as the figure moved closer. "Hey, it's only Piccolo! Was that who you guys were worried about?! Give me a break!"

"It's not him we're waiting for you twit!" Vegeta barked at him.

Piccolo landed with a thud next to Gohan. The Demi-Sayian smiled, assuming he knew why his mentor was there. "You felt it too huh?"

Piccolo nodded his head in conformation. "Yes, and I sensed it was headed in this direction. Should've figured I find you all here."

"Hold on now!" Krillen bellowed, still frustrated and confused. "What are you all talking about?! If it wasn't Piccolo you were sensing, then who is it?!"

"Well, I'm going to go out on a limb here," Ryo grunted through clenched teeth, as he felt a strong power source approaching. "But I'm guessing that might be him!"

All heads looked upward, and spotted a large energy shield containing a small man hovering towards the ground. Everyone present with any knowledge of Ki or life energy, cringed at the flow of power radiating from him. He wasn't spine numbingly strong, not even near as strong as Taro, but any unknown being who showed up on Earth with that sort of strength needed to be looked into it. The Z-senshi braced themselves as the ball landed a few feet in front of them and disappeared, revealing the little being inside of it. He didn't exactly look like the type that would be threatening to anything except for maybe the ants scurrying along the ground, but his power level was saying something much different. He stood only an inch or two taller then Krillen, reddish tinted skin, and a wild crop of brown hair that stuck out of the top of his head like a carrot. A sinister looking smile creased over his lips, partially exposing the beady black orbs hiding between the two thin slits that were his eyelids.

"Relax Earth warriors, I haven't come here to fight. Actually, I have a proposition for you."

"A proposition?" Gohan asked. "What exactly do you have in mind?"

  
"It's simple really. You see, we've been watching your little group, and some of you were quite impressive in that martial arts tournament that was held yesterday. Sadly, it seems besides a small handful, there was really no major competition for you to face other then each other. What if I told you that I can fix that little problem for you?"

Vegeta's brow twitched with interest. "And how do you intend on doing that?"

"Yes, let me explain," the little man cackled. "You see, my name is Loki, and I work for an enterprising martial arts enthusiast named Kashunari. He travels from galaxy to galaxy inviting the best fighters in the world to come aboard his spaceship, and compete in a galaxy wide tournament to see just who is the best in the universe. Recently or trip has brought us to Earth. While we haven't located many beings on this planet that catch our interest, there are four of you that seem to stand out…" 

"Vegeta…" Loki hissed, as he looked in his direction. "Prince of the Sayians, and the last living full-blooded member of the race. Strong and proud, you'd still possibly be the strongest Sayian alive even if that horrible fate hadn't befallen your home planet. You are hereby invited to Lord Kashunari's tournament to represent the Sayian race."

Loki's eyes shifted towards a young man staring at him with wide brown eyes. "Ryo, a rare diamond in the rough for what is a relatively weak race, and the current champion of earth as I understand. You are hereby invited to Lord Kashunari's tournament as a representative of the human race and Earth."

Loki's attention turned to the other boy standing next to Ryo. "Gohan, half Sayian and half human, and a warrior still with enormous potential despite the level of strength you already posses. Lord Kashunari seems particularly interested in you. You are hereby invited to Lord Kashunari's tournament as a representative of the human and Sayian race, and of Earth."

Finally, the little mans gaze feel upon Piccolo. "And of course let's not forget you Piccolo. The former guardian of Earth as I understand, and you also trained the two young gentlemen standing next to you. You are hereby invited to Lord Kashunari's tournament as a representative of the Nameks."

"Well…" Loki continued. "With that said all I require now is your response… What do you four have to say?"

Everyone looked around at each other, even those who weren't asked to fight, as if conversing with each other at what they should do. While the prospect of yet more competition was appealing the Sayians and Piccolo, the trust factor involved with this mysterious little man bothered the Namek and Gohan at least. The last thing Ryo wanted to do was fight when he didn't have to, especially against a bunch of space aliens who were Kami knows how strong. Vegeta snorted slightly, and gave Loki a glare. 

"Fine then. I question this competition you've been speaking of, but I'll see just what this Kashunari has to offer."

"Excellent. I knew I could depend on your cooperation Vegeta. Now what about the three of you…"

Unlike Vegeta, the decision for the remaining three was debatable. "I don't know about this guys…" Gohan said. "I don't think we can trust this guy… Still, it sounds interesting. Should we go?"

"I don't know…" Piccolo grumbled. "He definitely looks suspicious… What do you think Ryo? Can you see anything?"

Ryo tapped into his mind's eye, but couldn't see any present danger in the near future. "No, I don't sense anything at the moment… Still, if you guys want to do this then by all means knock yourselves out. As far as I go, I've had by fill of fighting for a while, so I think I'll just stay here."

"But there's still a chance they could be dangerous," Gohan told him. "We might need your help, if it turns out that these guys are up to no good. Whether it's just a legitimate tournament or not, I don't think we can afford not to go just in case they are up to something."

"He's got a point kid," Piccolo agreed, then looked towards Loki. "Alright Loki. Count me in."

"We'll compete too…" Gohan nudged Ryo in the ribs, when he didn't get anything but a murmur instead of an agreement. "Right Ryo?"

"Fine, I'll go!" Ryo grumbled, wondering if he had any freewill left at all. "That stupid title is already haunting me!"

"Hold on just a minute young man!" Chi-chi growled, and drug Gohan backward by the collar of his Gi. "There's no way you're going to do anymore fighting any time soon, especially on some spaceship! There's no telling what kind of weird diseases you can catch on that thing!"  


"But mom!" Gohan argued. "The Earth might be in danger, I have to go!"

"No excuses Gohan! You're not going, and that's final! You've got weeks worth of make-up work to do for school waiting on you at home buddy!"

"Mom please! Don't do this!" Gohan begged, then whispered to her pleadingly. "Not in front of the guys, and the weird alien please!"

Loki sweat dropped, Piccolo shook his head, while Ryo looked sympathetic. Vegeta snarled, and muttered under his breath. "If the fate of the world ever lies in the hands of that women I might as well blow my own head off, and get it over with!"

"So, I guess I can't stop you from doing this huh?" Bulma asked, already knowing the answer. She didn't get one, as Vegeta just frowned in the direction he was facing. "I'll make sure the others get home safely then. You guys take care…"

"Yes, touching, very touching. If you gentlemen would, now we should be going," Loki announced, signaling the four fighters to follow him. "If you four will stand behind me, then I'll escort you to our ship."

The Z-fighters didn't ask any questions, and though confused lined up behind the strange Loki. Gohan waved his mother good-bye, and sprinted towards the others. "Sorry to disobey you mom, but it's time I started making decisions for myself, so good-bye!"

"Gohan! What do you think you're doing?! Get back here!" Chi-chi stalked over towards her son, but was forced backward when a ball of energy, identical to the one that encased Loki on his descent towards the Earth, appeared surrounding Gohan, Loki, and company. The Z-senshi were a bit confused as to what this meant, but their unasked questions were quickly answered as they took to the air. 

"Sorry mom, but I promised dad that I'd take care of you guys, and that I'd protect the Earth if anybody threatens it! I have to go, so please understand! And if Videl calls me later, tell her where I am okay?!"

"But Gohan!… Get down here!" Chi-chi's shoulders hung in defeat, and a slight smile formed on her lips. "He gets more like his father everyday…"

Gohan finished waving to his mother, and turned back towards the other Z-senshi. "You know guys, I should've mentioned this sooner, but this might be a trap."

"Yeah, so what if it is?" Vegeta asked. "We'll just bust out, so what are you worried about?" 

"I don't know… Nothing important I guess…"

"All I can say is that this better not be a waste of our time!"

"Don't worry Vegeta," Loki smiled sadistically. "I promise you it won't be…"

----------

"Excellent, they fell for it," a sinister looking man cackled, as he stared at the big viewing screen set up in the control room of his spaceship. His chin rested gently in his hand, his long white hair nearly touching the floor. "This is too perfect, I almost expect the ship to start falling apart at any second."

The big burly looking man standing next to him growled in disgust. "We wouldn't have had to resorted to brining these fools aboard the ship if you had sent me to that tournament instead of that idiot Taro!"

"Be nice now Maco," the man snickered. "That's your brother you're talking about… Or was your brother anyway…"

Maco snorted. "He's no brother of mine now. He was a weakling! Losing to that earth boy… Sayian or no Sayian, there's no excuse!"

"Maybe you're right Maco… But that's exactly why I sent him instead of you. He was expendable, but I still need you to put the bulk of my plan into motion. Are the Durgan's ready?"

Maco smiled at this. "Yes, Lord Kashunari. They're ready to go, as soon as you say the word."

"Excellent," Kashunari smirked contently. "As soon as they're aboard the games begin."

********

There was a little patch of brown dirt in the middle of a field that was otherwise filled from corner to corner with lush green grass. The ground there was dry and broken, completely barren except for a few ants, until a bloody and singed hand clawed into the exposed earth. Leave it to the Ray Lien to find the needle hidden in the haystack every time, even when their bodies were battered and broken. Hail tried to force himself to his feet, but his body just wasn't responding. In a matter of seconds, he decided it would better if he just lay there and waited to die… He laid there motionless, planning on doing just that when he felt a large shadow creep over him… A curtain of dread spread over him as his eyes scanned over the padded leg of an orange Gi hovering over him. Those eyes now filled with dread, his head churned up slowly towards the masked face of the very man he feared had stumbled across him. 

"Sako……" Hail mumbled weakly in between ragged breaths. 

"You've failed Hail, and you've failed miserably," Sako told him showing little emotion. "You know the punishment for failure in our clan Hail…"

"Sako! Please no!" Hail chocked frantically, as Sako grabbed him by his leg and proceeded to drag him away to some unforeseen location. "Just let me die here please! No!!!!!!!!!"

********

"So where's this competition they were going on about?!" Vegeta growled, as he paced around the large room Loki had left them in some time ago. To its credit it did resemble some sort of training room… Almost perfect for fight except for the fact that there wasn't a ring anywhere to be seen. Maybe this competition didn't need one, or perhaps this was just some sort of large training room. "We've been waiting here for hours! Let's get moving already!"

"At least somebody's using the time constructively," Piccolo muffed, as his eyes peaked over at Gohan who was sawing logs a few feet away. Two hours after their arrival, Gohan decided if had to wait he might as well catch up on some lost sleep with a short nap… That short nap had abruptly turned into a full night's sleep over the past few hours. "Sort of anyway…"

Piccolo then looked over at Ryo who had been relatively silent since they arrived on the ship. It wasn't all that strange for him to be quiet, especially with Gohan in dreamland and considering that he wasn't all that comfortable around Vegeta yet, but still yet something was unsettling with the way he was acting. Not actually the way he was acting, but the serious and frantic look Piccolo noticed would flash over Ryo's face every so often. Kind of like deep concentration, but he just couldn't seem to focus on whatever it was he was trying to home in on. "Is something the matter Ryo? You aren't having a vision are you?"

"I don't know," Ryo mumbled in concerned fashion. "It almost feels like I'm trying to have a vision, but something keeps blocking it out! I know something's there but I can't see it no matter how hard I concentrate, and it's about to drive me crazy! It's been like this for over three hours now… I don't have a good feeling about this Piccolo… Something bad is about to happen, and I just don't know what it is!"

"Something's been bothering me too, but I just can't put my finger on it… We better keep our eyes peeled, and watch our backs just in case."

"The only thing bothering me is this intrepid wait!" Vegeta snarled, and proceeded to threaten some unseen entity. "Whoever's running this sideshow listen to me! I'm sick of all this playing around, now get this competition underway before I blast a hole in your roof and leave!"

  
"Relax Vegeta, you'd do good to learn some patience," a voice jeered from the next room. The sliding doors opened to reveal none other then Loki, followed by several other strange looking creatures of various types. The Z-senshi could only assume they were various races from other planets also invited to compete in this quaint little space tournament. 

"What's going on?" Gohan yawned, as Loki's entrance stirred him from his slumber. He lined up with the other Z-fighters, and his eyes widened at the vast variety of characters gathered around Loki. They ranged from monstrous creatures to the down right freaky, including a giant dragon like being minus the wings, and a rough looking man beast type creature with the body of a man and the head of a tiger. For whatever reason, the fighter that stood out the most in Gohan's eyes was a short green-skinned man wearing a hood. Something about him stood out, but Gohan couldn't tell just what.

"That's our competition?!" Vegeta scoffed, feeling almost nothing at all from the lot of them. "I sincerely hope they're suppressing their power levels, or this won't even be a decent warm up!"

"Oh trust me Vegeta," Loki smirked. "They're going to give you more then you ever dreamed of… Now, I'm sorry I must prolong the wait, but the tournament isn't scheduled to start for another few hours yet, so I figured I'd bring these boys in here to spare with you so you won't get bored."

"Humph, it's about time you did something!" Vegeta barked. "We've been standing around here half the day already!"

"I'm aware of that, please try to be patient…" Loki's gaze shifted towards the sleepy face of Gohan. "You boy… Why don't you start us off?"

  
"Me?" Gohan pointed to himself, and walked forward when Loki nodded his head. "Okay… If you insist…"

"Indeed I do… Eeki! I want you to oppose the young Sayian for this training session. Be careful though, he's a strong one…"

"If you say so," the hooded man said, as he walked out of the line towards the center of the ring. "Should be interesting…"

"Indeed… Now, if you all will excuse me, I have some other business to attend to… Have fun, and try not to kill each other before the actual competition can begin…" Loki said, as the sliding doors reopened for him to exit. I don't know why Lord Kashunari's so interested in that boy, but he insisted on seeing him fight… Oh well, should be fun to see what happens next.

"I'll try," Eeki grinned, as Loki exited the room. 

"I don't think you have to worry about killing me," Gohan smirked smugly, as he began to limber up a bit, if anything to get his blood circulating again after his long nap.

The only part of his face that Gohan could see was Eeki's grin as it widened widen, until he removed the hood from his head. Gohan gasped as he saw the face staring back at him in full view. He looked kind of like a Namek except his completion was a little lighter green, his ears weren't pointy but more like square boxes, and his lips formed in a strange almost circle formation. He obviously wasn't a Namek, but he could probably pass for one rather easily. "Confident one aren't you? You look a little tired there, that's not healthy for you at the moment."

"Well, I just woke up…" Gohan admitted, causing his sparing partner to sweat drop. "Hey, how long was I out for anyway guys?"

Vegeta answered gruffly, more pissed off at how long they had to wait rather than the question. "We've been here for over fourteen hours, and you've only been awake through two of them!"

Now Gohan was the one sweat dropping. "Man, I really must've been out of it…" Gohan smiled, and turned back to his opponent. "Okay then! When do we start?"

"Right now." Gohan yelped, as a fast green leg swept over his head, then fired another shot towards his torso. Gohan darted out of the way, and went on the defensive as Eeki charged him, firing a series of fast punches and kicks. Shocked by how fast this little green man was, Gohan had to rethink his entire strategy as how to go about fighting this Eeki. He was much stronger then he had originally thought, and for some reason he couldn't seem to pick up on his Ki. While Gohan was busy thinking up ways to counter his lightning fast opponent, Eeki had much different things on his mind. 

"You're from Earth right?" Eeki asked, as he continued his assault.

"Yeah, what about it?" Gohan asked, as he blocked Eeki's fist, then fired a few punches of his own.

Eeki avoided Gohan's attacks with ease, and continued. "Now I know to warn you… This is a trap you know?"

"What the tournament?"

"No, don't you see there is no tournament," Eeki explained. "I don't know why Loki has me fighting with you right now, or why they're waiting, but any second now they're going to get a signal to attack all of you. They plan to either take you prisoner, or kill you in the process."

"And aren't you one of the group?" Gohan blocked a punch, and fired a kick at Eeki's face. 

"Yes, but my motives are different," Eeki said, as the battle continued. "You see, they aren't bad people, they're all slaves Kashunari has acquired over the years in the same fashion they're trying to take you! He's promised them their freedom if they help capture you, among other more sinister consequences if they refuse…"

Gohan caught Eeki's fist, then took hold of the other one as it came flying towards his face. They glared in each other's face as they both tried to force the other back. "If that's the case then why are you telling me this?! If he's offering you your freedom and all!"

"Because I've been here long enough to know that Kashunari's promises aren't worth the dirt his feet trample over! Besides, my goal is to destroy Kashunari, not acquire more prisoner's for him!"

"Well, you don't have to worry about that!" Gohan powered out of Eeki's grasp, and the sparing match resumed. "We're not the type that's taken prisoner that easily!"

"And you think I was!" Eeki snarled, as he blocked a punch from Gohan. "I'm sure you're all capable fighters, but I'm warning you that you need to get back down to Earth as quickly as possible! If you don't you might not have a planet to go home to!… Wait a minute, have long have you guys been here?"

Gohan looked concerned now, as he dodged Eeki's leg. "About fourteen hours I think… Most of the day…"

Eeki's face cringed in horror. "Then it might already be too late…"

"Too late for what?! Come on, tell me!"  


"What is that brat doing?!" Vegeta growled at watching what appeared to be a horrible display of fighting technique from one of the last surviving members of his race. "He should've blown this fool trough the roof a long time ago!"

"No Vegeta, something's wrong…" Piccolo grunted. "We're not sensing much Ki from Eeki, but it's not because he's weak, it's rather obvious he has some moves… At first I thought maybe he was just really good at hiding it, but notice something from Gohan as well?"

Vegeta snarled at Piccolo as if to ask what the hell the Namek was getting at when he did feel something from Gohan… That was that he felt very little at all in the way of Ki… He felt for Piccolo's and Ryo's as well, and sure enough both their energy patterns came in very low as well. "What the hell?!… I noticed your power levels were lower than normal before, but I thought you were just suppressing them to throw off Loki and the other fighter!" 

"And I thought you were doing the same thing… Apparently we were both wrong."

"That's it!" Ryo cried out suddenly, a look of enlightenment and fear mixed into his face. "I don't know how the hell they're doing it, but this Lord Cashew guy, or whatever the hell his name is, is somehow blocking our secondary instincts! Whatever's aiding in masking everybody's Ki must be preventing my psychic sense from kicking in as well! I don't know what they're up to, but something is definitely wrong here!"

"I hate to admit it, but I'm starting to think you're right…" Vegeta growled. "I hate not being able to measure an opponents strength! I've been doing it so long, it's almost as bad as being blind or deaf!"

"I'll have to take your word for that," Piccolo grunted. "But I don't like it either…"

"Look, you have to listen to me!" Eeki pleaded with Gohan, even in the midst of legs and arms flying everywhere. "The tournament talk is just a damn ploy! The crew on this ship are nothing more then a damn sadistic cult of space pirates that travel around from planet to planet plundering each one they come across!"

"Oh yeah?! What kind of plundering?!"

"Trust me, you don't want to know…" Eeki murmured, distracting himself just long enough that Gohan almost landed a punch. They lured you here, so there wouldn't be any strong fighters left on the planet to defend against them once they attack! If you've really been on this ship as long as you say you have, it may already be to late…"

"Why should I believe you?!" Gohan grunted, as more blows were exchanged and blocked.

"You can't believe me, or you don't want to believe me?! Look, if that's the way you want it then fine, stay up here and fight like a bunch of idiots while your planet is stripped of all life! If you really want to know how I know what they're up to… It's because they did the same thing to my planet a few years back… I'm the last surviving member of my race now, and I don't want to see another go down to the likes of that tyrant! I've already been here while they've stripped countless others…"

Gohan looked almost somber now, as if the reality of what might be happening down on earth was finally starting to sink in. All at once the fighting stop, and the two combatants hovered in mid-air and stared each other down. If Gohan needed anymore convincing, it came from one of his friends standing down below. 

"Gohan! I think something's going on down on Earth! We've got to get off this ship!" Ryo bellowed from the ground.

"Well, your friend seems to agree with me, and I haven't told him anything yet," Eeki told him.

"Okay, let's just assume what your saying is true. How do we get out of here?"

"I'll be happy to show you… But first you're going to have to get through them." 

Gohan looked down towards the group of about half a dozen fighters who looked poised and ready to start something. Then he remembered what Eeki said about the planned ambush during the training session. "I understand… You better not be kidding me about this though."

"They've stopped fighting so what's he doing?" Piccolo inquired of himself. His eyes went wide, as he watched Gohan power up a Ki blast and sent it flying towards the group of fighters that entered the room along with Eeki. "What the hell *is* he doing?!"

"Everybody brace yourselves!" Gohan yelled to the other Z-senshi. "This is a trap!"

"I knew it!" Piccolo gritted his teeth, as he and Ryo powered up. Vegeta just smiled, and took a fighting pose. 

"Don't have to tell me twice."

Just as Eeki had said, the other slaves immediately rushed the Z-fighters, and they weren't about to wait around for their enemies to come to them. Piccolo was the only fighter to stand his ground, and waited as an odd lizard like creature with blue skin and a long tail leapt for him. Piccolo dodged out of it's way, and immediately dodged several reckless blows the blue lizard tried to strike him with. The lizard creature tried a swipe with his tail along with his limbs now, but Piccolo matched his every step. What the Namek wasn't prepared for was the creatures long slimly tongue, as it shot out of its mouth and wrapped itself around Piccolo's neck. Piccolo grabbed a hold of the silky weapon, and held his feet steady on the ground as it tried to pull Piccolo closer to him. The resourceful Namek reversed fields on the creature, and whipped him back towards him. The lizard man's eyes just about bulged out of his head as he was pulled forward, right before Piccolo planted his fist dead into the creature face. The scaly warrior went out like a light, his protruding tongue still sticking out of his mouth a good six feet even after he hit the ground.

"Eck, disgusting," Piccolo cringed, as he wiped some slobber off of his neck and face.

"Stand still there buddy, how do you expect me to hit you if you keep wiggling around everywhere!" a wiry little man with elongated legs and arms said rather rapidly, as he bounced off the walls and the ceiling all around Ryo's head, shooting tiny little projectile daggers at him. 

"I don't intend for you to," Ryo said coolly, as he jumped up after his quicksilver adversary. "I hope you can move as fast as you can talk!"

The springy little man proved he could do just that by daring out of the way of Ryo's fist as he came barreling towards him. Ryo quickly regrouped himself, and barrel rolled his way back to the ground so to dodge the close to a dozen daggers his opponent had fired at him. The somewhat bouncy little man somehow stuck himself to the wall, and fired some more rounds at Ryo thinking he had his target locked in now. However, he was dismayed when all he saw was a faint trace of his target smile, before disappearing from his sight. He scanned his eyes around the immediate area in confusion when his adversary suddenly appeared in front of him. 

"You're quick," Ryo complemented, as he fired a powerful Ki blast into the little fighter before he could move out of the way. He splattered up against the wall, and with a grunt dropped to the floor. "But not quick enough."

"Don't take this personally son, but I don't have much of a choice in this matter," the strange beast-man type creature told Gohan in a tone of voice eerily similar to that of a human in his mid to late fifties. He had the body of a man, if the person where a very burley man like Spopovitch for example, but his head took the image of a tiger with a busy fur main that covered most of his chest, and ending just before his abdomen began. Needless to say, Gohan didn't give a damn what the creatures motives were, all he knew was that he was under attack. Gohan grabbed his fist as it came flying towards his face, and twisted his arm around surprising the beast man with his strength. 

"Don't take this personally yourself, but you are the one that's attacking me now aren't you?!" Gohan wound up, and clubbed the beast underneath the chin, sending him flying across the ship. Gohan eased back, but a second to soon as he immediately felt a pair of enormous arms wrap around his chest.

"No, hurt friend Satara!" A deep ogre like voice bellowed down at Gohan. In fact, he looked like an ogre to, a mammoth of a humanoid standing in at close to ten feet tall, and about as broad as a small truck. Only one eye was plastered into the middle of his head, and his impressive strength was even difficult for Gohan to fight out of. 

"Damn… That boy almost took my head off," The beast man grumbled, as he sat up and rubbed his chin. He then saw his ally holding the young Sayian at bay, and quickly moved to race to his aid. "Hold on tight Barlog! I'm coming to help you…"

"Wait Satara!" A green hand grabbed a hold of Satara's wrist, and the old tiger turned around to face Eeki. "What are you guys trying to accomplish by all this anyway?"

"Our freedom of course!" Satara replied gruffly. "This is our only chance! Who's side are you on anyway Eeki, telling the boy of our plan and all that! What are you up too?!"

"I'm not on Kashunari's side, I'll tell you that match, and just who do you think you're fighting for right now?"

Satara grimaced, and groaned somewhat shamefully. "Look, I'm not proud of it, but it's our only chance. We all appreciate you staying on board the ship to help us, but unlike you we can't just get up and escape this place whenever we feel like it! The others just aren't strong enough to fight off Kash's minions, and I'm too old to live life on the run… This is the only option we have left!"

"Think about what you're saying Satara. You've been on this ship longer than any of us, and have been alive for a lot longer then that! Do you really think Kash is going to free you guys just like that? Don't be a fool! He's never going to let you go! You're going to rot away here as his own personal little plaything until the day you die, and so are the rest of them!" Eeki paused, and surveyed the battlefield. "Besides… From the looks of things you guys aren't exactly fairing very well with your little assignment."

Satara looked just in time to watch Gohan break free of Barlog's bear hug, and pretty much KO'd him with one blow to the midsection. Satara growled, and turned back to Eeki. "Damn… Of course you're right boy… It's just that one shred of hope after all this time… What are we going to do?"

"The only way we can truly be free is to defeat Kashunari and his thugs once and for all!" Eeki told him. "If we escape they'll just hunt us down until he recaptures us, or kills us in the process. Besides, you know what he did to all out planets, and what I fear may have befallen Earth as well… Somebody has to stop this… I know it's a long shot, but there's no other way…"

Satara sighed then smirked slightly, and shook his head. "I should've listened to you a long time boy… What you're asking may just be suicide, but I guess the rewards do far outweigh the risks…"

"Too slow fool!" Vegeta snickered, as he grabbed the giant dragon type creature he'd been pretty much toying with. He grabbed him by his long neck, and swung him around tossing him hard into the wall, reinforced with some sort of strong alien metal. A sadistic smile crossed the Sayian's lips, as he stared down his fallen adversary as he lay prone on the floor groaning softly. Vegeta charged up a Ki blast with full intention of finishing the beast off, when Gohan smacked his hand towards the ground forcing Vegeta to break off his concentration and the attack.

"Vegeta don't!"  


"Boy, what the hell are you doing?!" Vegeta barked, and frowned at the boy. "I was just about to finish him!"

"There's no need to finish him, he means you no real harm!" Gohan told him. "They're slaves on this ship, and the only reason they attacked us is because the guy who runs this ship promised to set them free if they captured us! You've already beaten him, so just let it be!"

"You are insane boy! Your softhearted nature is going to get you killed one of these days, and you better not take the rest of us with you!" Vegeta growled, but surprisingly did as Gohan requested by walking away from his downed opponent. Gohan watched after him curiously. Vegeta was never that easy to reason with… 

"Look guys, if we're done playing around we need to get back down to Earth!" Ryo called out frantically, flying down towards Gohan and Vegeta. "Something's going on down there, and I don't think it's pretty!"

"You have no idea son…" Satara said suddenly, as he and Eeki walked toward the group of Z-fighters. Gohan, Piccolo, Ryo, and Vegeta all gathered around each other and kept their guard up just in case these two strange aliens were planning anything that wasn't on the level. "I'm sorry for this mess, but I'm afraid this is what we've been reduced to over the years… You must get back down to your planet in a hurry, Kashunari's Durgan's can devastate an entire planet in a matter of hours. They finished mine off in no more than eight by my planet's time."

"You don't have to tell us twice!" Gohan exclaimed. "Now, how do we get out of here?!"

"That's an easy one," Eeki smiled, and took to the air. "Everybody back out of the way!"

Satara and the Z-senshi did as they were told, and Eeki proceeded to blast a large hole into the floor of the ship. Gohan stared at the gaping hole with wide eyes, having expected a more subtle method of escape. "That's your way out?…"

"Crude but effective isn't it?" Satara commented. 

"What are we standing around here for? Let's go!" Piccolo said, and he and Vegeta flew out of the ship. Gohan was set to follow, when he looked up to inquire one more thing from Eeki. "You guys want to come with us? That's what you wanted, to be free wasn't it?"

"I could escape anytime I want," Eeki smirked smugly. "My goal is to defeat Kashunari, and it's a lot easier to plan for that as a prisoner on this ship rather than out on the run."

Gohan looked up at Satara to offer the same to him. Satara just smiled, and shook his head. "No thanks lad. Kashunari would just chase me down until he drags me back here, or kills me. I'm better off here, Eeki needs all the help he can get anyway."

"If that's what you guys want," Gohan smiled. "Don't worry, we'll come back and help you as soon as we clean up whatever mess is down on Earth. Right Ryo?"

"Why not? Don't have nothing better to do," the boy smiled. 

"Assuming you live that long…" Eeki mumbled… He took another long hard look at Gohan as he prepared to leave when he noticed something dangling from Gohan's neck. It was a small pendant, inscribed with a symbol that looked similar to Egyptian hieroglyphs. Eeki's eyes winded in amazement, and grabbed a hold of the small round object, letting it lie against the palm of his hand to get a better look at it. 

"What are you doing?!" Gohan demanded.

"Where did you get this?!"

"My dad gave it to me just yesterday, now why?" Gohan asked, as Eeki released the object, allowing it to dangle off his neck once again.

"This is an ancient relic from my home planet! It was once worn by the legendary warrior Pikkon! Hell, he was even buried with it! How the hell did your father get this, let alone give it to you?!"

"Oh, I see what you're talking about now!" Gohan smiled. "My dad said a guy name Pikkon gave him this medallion, and he gave it to me for good luck."

"But that's impossible! Pikkon's been dead for over a century now!" 

"Oh, that explains everything! My dad died about seven years ago, and they met in other world. He beat him in some sort of tournament, and Pikkon gave this to my father as some sort of good luck charm. He came back for a day, which just happened to be yesterday, to compete in a fighting tournament on our planet."

Eeki looked absolutely bewildered. "Look, I'm not even going to touch the after life thing, but there's no way your father could've beaten Pikkon alive or dead! He was the greatest warrior that ever lived!"

"Well, I'm just telling you what my dad told me… I better get going, time's a wasting! Good-bye!" Gohan jumped out of the ship, followed immediately by Ryo. Eeki looked out the ship after him, a bead of nervous sweat running down his face. "Who are those guys?…"

"I don't know…" Satara cracked. "But let's just hope they all make it through this alive… Not to mention us…"

"Come on, let's move it!" Ryo called out to the other's as he sped towards the Earth. "If we hurry we might be able to… Ho… Ho… Holy shit!…"

Ryo's eyes widened in total horror the second he was close enough to the ground to see what waited for them there. Piccolo and Gohan wore similar looks of dread and terror as they descended downward, and even Vegeta managed a grimace. What looked to once be a crowded city was now left in total devastation. A literal red dawn had descended over the planet providing a perfect apocalyptic mood, the shade of a lonely sunrise spreading across the landscape. Numerous buildings lied in ruins, and not one speck of life could be felt. Not a bird chirping, not a rat crawling on the street, or one solitary human wandering around the city below. Gohan sped towards the city and landed in the middle of a street surrounded by debris, trash, and the burnt out shells of several cars. Even once his feet touched the ground he could still sense no trace of life whatsoever. His eyes scanned the area until finally they fell upon the form of a human sprawled out on the street. Gohan rushed over to him to check if he was okay, only to back away a moment later as got a good look at him. He looked to be in his thirties, and didn't even appear to be what Gohan would call a corpse. There were no signs of life from the man whatsoever, as he just laid still on the ground with his eyes wide open liked he'd just seen something that shocked the holy hell out of him. His complexion was very dark, and even in this state there was a strong empty feeling coming from this man that just didn't seem natural. Ryo and Piccolo landed next to Gohan, and their faces took on similar looks of disgust as they looked down at the body. Vegeta landed and just sort of grunted indifferently, and looked around the area. Gohan clenched his fist tightly, and bit his lower lip.

"We're… I think we're too late…"

End.

I'm aware that the Ryo being adopted thing, and Gohan's medallion popped up suddenly but there were reasons for both. I never mentioned anything about Gohan getting anything from his father before, because quite honestly the idea just occurred to me as I was finishing up this chapter. It has no real importance to the story, I just wanted to make it clear to everyone where Eeki came from… I wasn't confident my description of him was accurate enough. Once again, he doesn't mean a whole lot to the story, but I needed a couple characters for the prisoners on the ship, and thought Eeki would be an interesting inclusion. As for Ryo, well that was an idea I always had planned for him, but wasn't actually supposed to work into this story at any time. The thing is, I've recently fallen in love with another anime/magna I stumbled across, and I've reduced the grindstones to ruble trying to come up with a good idea for a story. I wound up with a great one. It's not going to be a sequel, or even relatively related to this story or anything, but there will be a small tie-in. 

__

Preview of Chapter 22 The Z-senshi rush to their homes to check on their families, and are horrified to discover it wasn't just one city that had fallen to Kashunari's invasion. In the rush to find survivors, they stumble across a battered Supreme Kai who tells the Z-fighters just what Kashunari was after… And to make matters worse the dragon balls are still a few months away from being fully recharged. Not to mention that there are still a few Durgan's left on Earth, and another more unspeakable evil…


	22. Chapter 22

-I was forced to write this chapter twice, and I still didn't quite get it exactly the way I wanted it. I hope you enjoy it anyway. 

Chapter 22

"… Another one," Piccolo grumbled, as he and the other Z-senshi stumbled across yet another body. It looked just like all the other's they had found scattered around town, darkened complexions with their eyes wide open highlighting an otherwise blank expression. Not a one of them had even a trace of life left in their bodies.

"Is he dead?" Gohan asked softly without really thinking about the question.

"Well obviously!" Vegeta huffed.

"Actually I'm not sure if the answer is yes Vegeta…" Piccolo informed him. "I mean, he obviously isn't alive, but I'm not sure if dead is the term I'd use…"

"Then what would you call it?!" Vegeta growled in irritation.

"I honestly don't know…" Piccolo replied.

"Though I sincerely doubt it, I guess we have to hope this is the only town that's suffered this fate," Gohan said solemnly. 

"Look, I hate to say this, but there's only a couple places I'm worried about right now!" Ryo snapped, with a clench of his fists. "We've got to get back to our homes before the same things happens there that happened here, if it's not too late already!"

"Kami, you're right!" Gohan growled in agreement. "We've wasted too much time here already, knowing there's nothing we can do! We've got to get back home and fast!"

The others weren't sure if Vegeta agreed, disagreed, or what unless they counted his enraged grunt as agreement. Whatever it meant, the Sayian Prince immediately took to the air and shot off leaving the others to assume he was headed towards Capsule Corp.

"Well, that's the right idea, but he could've at least waited until we planned something out before he took off!" Gohan said.

"Right, but we don't have much time, so let's decide what we're going to do and quick!" Ryo suggested.

"Already decided! Let's do what we've got to do, and meet back at Dende's lookout whenever we're through, now let's go!" Gohan commanded, as the trio shot off in different directions. 

"I'll check out the next couple of towns over while you guys are at it!" Piccolo called after them. "Watch your backs okay?!"

********

A loud boom echoed through the air, as countless debris floated down the empty deserted streets. It was just as Vegeta feared. The entire city was this way… Suffering the exact same fate as the first town they came across after escaping Kashunari's ship, and every city he had passed in between. Just like the rest, not a trace of life human or otherwise was anywhere to be felt, seen, nor heard. That was, except for one faint trace of energy nearby… And if Vegeta's sense of direction was as good as he thought it was, it was coming straight from Capsule Corp. That was the only shred of hope he had left to hold on to at the moment… 

Not wasting a second, Vegeta's haste paid off as he arrived home in a matter of seconds. At least what was left of it. The building was still standing on it's foundation, much like most of the other structures around town, but numerous windows were blown out, parts of the outside were singed or broken off where they had been hit by some sort of blast, and smoke rose to the sky from where a fire raged in some building down the road. In no mood to make use of a door, or an elevator Vegeta crashed straight through one of the few planes of glass that hadn't already been broken, conveniently landing in his own living room. He searched the room frantically searching for one of them… Any one of them. All at once his head stopped, as his eyes picked up a glimpse of something behind the sofa… He walked around it slowly… Very slowly, not wanting to see what he feared he knew he was going to, but he knew he would have to eventually. And finally he did… He found Bulma lying on the floor in the exact same manner he had found all the other humans in this town and the towns over. Eyes open part way, dark complexion, completely still and void of life. He didn't rush over to her, just a slow walk and hoisted her up in his arms. With his face cringing ever so slightly, he felt something burning at his eyelids… Something new and usual, something Vegeta didn't like one bit so he forced them to stay back. His face cringed violently, and a lump formed in his throat as if he was about to scream…

Vegeta paused, and snapped his head behind him when he heard something rummaging through a large pile of rubble at his back. He set his wife's body on the ground, and struck a fighting pose as he turned around just in case… His eyes grew slightly when a soft but familiar grunt caught his ear. He watched the pile of debris intently as it heaved upward, eventually revealing a small lavender head as it pushed its way out of the rubble. "D-Dad?… Is that you?… What happened?"

Trunks pulled himself out of the debris, and immediately collapsed to the floor. Vegeta rushed over to him, placing his hands of the sides of his son's arms as the boy struggled to his feet. "Trunks, are you alright? What in the heck happened here?!"  


"I'm not sure…" Trunks coughed. "One minute everything was normal, and the next all these creepy monsters were attacking people left and right… A couple of them broke into the house, and the next thing I knew the ceiling was caving in on me… I don't remember anything after that except for waking up just now… What happened to mom?…"

"Don't worry about that right now!" Vegeta barked, as he hugged his son, and turned their bodies around so his eyes wouldn't behold his mother's fate.

"Owey, my head hurts…" A little voice grunted from inside the rubble. Vegeta's eyes turned to the side, and watched as a spiky head of hair raised up form the debris. Goten looked around the place absently after emerging apparently just as lost as to what had happened as Trunks was. "Mr. Vegeta?… What's going on?…"

"I'd like to know the same thing," Vegeta said, as he stood up. "Come on kids. I know you've been through a lot, but we have to get out of this place. There's nothing left for us here… I'll try to explain things on the way…"

********

A cold sweat dripped down Gohan's face. The next several towns Gohan passed on his way home were in the same shape as that of the ones before. His only hope was that his house was too far out and secluded, hidden away deep in the mountains for the monsters that caused this carnage to reach. What he didn't know was that these creatures didn't discriminate based on where their victims lived. Gohan realized this as he flew over his home and found an enormous hole that had been blown through the roof of his house, and acers of land that surrounded his home had been scorched black. He flew into his house through the hole in the roof, and immediately searched the area looking for any signs of his family. He felt nothing, and that scared him to death. The entire homestead was in shambles, but there seemed to be a pattern or trail to the madness. The trail led to the kitchen where it was fairly obvious that some sort of struggle took place, at least from the look of the damage anyway. Pots and pans were strewn everywhere, and parts of the kitchen counter where blown to bits. That's where Gohan found his mother, lying face down in the middle of the kitchen surrounded by debris from the fight he was sure his mother put up before meeting her untimely fate. While deep down he knew she was gone, his heart just wouldn't listen. He rushed over to where his mother laid, dropped to his knees, and scooped her up in his arms. She looked just like all the other bodies he came across before. Her complexion was dark and yet somewhat pale at the same time, and her half open eyes were empty and bleak. 

"Mom… Mom! Are you still in there?! Say something to me please…" Knowing pleading was useless despite his reluctance to admit it, Gohan curled his mother's body up against his chest barely noticing the streams of water beginning to flow down his cheeks. He forced his eyes back open, and through his tears noticed something on his mother's back. A hole in her blouse that had appeared to have been punched in rather than ripped or burned. Curious, he lined the hole with a nasty looking black gash pierced into her skin. The strange thing about it was that the wound hadn't even appeared to bleed much, except for a couple small traces of dried blood. Was this how his mother had been killed? And if so how? Was she poisoned maybe?"

Gohan reluctantly set his mother on the ground, and gave her one last look before reassuming tarring through the house in search of his last missing family member. After searching through the entire house he found exactly what he had hoped to find. Nothing. Goten was nowhere to be found, and that at least gave Gohan hope, until thoughts of one more person that meant the world to him. For the sake of his last shred of sanity he prayed nothing had happened to Videl, but in the back of his mind feared that it might've been far too late for praying.

"Videl! Hold on I'm coming… I just hope I'm not too late again!"

********

Dread was a funny thing. It crept into your heart, and squeezed down on it until your heart rate was so rapid you feared it might burst out of your chest. Ryo was no stranger to that sensation, and this day it was as bad as it had ever been. The miles passed underneath him by the second, and the more ground he covered the heavier the pressure became. It wasn't long until he found himself flying over his hometown, or one of the many places he'd called home in his young life. This was simply the first place he'd ever lived that really felt like home. He made his first real friends here, and the local high school was the first school he had attended for more then a couple of months usually at the most.

Ryo touched down in what used to be the heart of town… Usually, by this time of the day, the streets would be swarming with the early morning rush hour traffic with dozens of local peddlers trying to cheat an honest buck out of pedestrians passing by. This morning those streets were completely empty, so to speak. Cars filled the streets, but they all stood still in the middle of or at the side of the road. Some were crushed, or torn open from the top. Some of the vehicles still had their passengers inside, apparently struck down from within. Ryo could even hear one car engine still running nearby, from where some doomed soul escaped his vehicle in a hurry apparently. Other then that there was nothing… No signs of life whatsoever. All the people he had meet or known over the past two years… The few people he'd grown to call friends. They were all gone, every last one of them. Ryo wasn't a fighter by nature. It was a way of life that had chosen him somewhere along the way, but you wouldn't be able to tell that at the moment for he reacted the exact same way any warrior with the slightest bit of bloodlust in his veins. Overwhelmed by the carnage around him and tears in his eyes, with an enraged growl, Ryo charged up his Ki to a level he never had before. A sea of purple erupted all around him, incinerating several cars, and doing yet more damage to several buildings in the immediate area.

"How the hell did they move so fast?!" Ryo growled, his breathing heavy. "I don't even care… They're not getting away with this… I'm through with playing it calm! This isn't going unanswered, you understand me?! This is too much, I've had it!" Ryo screamed out to some unseen enemy, and blasted off into the morning sky.

********

Piccolo wasn't surprised to find just about every town in the immediate area had suffered the safe fate. However, he was surprised to find the carnage had spread as far as the remote island of Master Roshi. Shocked would be a better word actually. Panicked, Piccolo landed on the island beach growing hopeful after sensing a faint trace of Ki coming from the island grounds. There wasn't much left of Roshi's house. From the looks of things a vicious battle must've been waged here. He rushed inside, and right away noticed three bodies lying prone on the floor. One was the old warrior Roshi who appeared to have finally fought his last battle. The second was the woman known only by the number 18, oddly enough laying in the same fashion of every other victim of this invasion. Maybe she really was more human than she was android. The other body, the one of a young girl, was an image Piccolo would rather soon forget.

Piccolo traced that faint trail of Ki deeper into the homestead, and eventually the gentle sound of soft sobbing caught his sensitive ears. The little man was huddled up against a wall that was half destroyed, and he never even sensed Piccolo coming. He did not become aware of his presence until a leathery green hand touched him on the shoulder.

Krillen jumped slightly, and his head snapped upward. "Piccolo?… You're alive?!"

"I was thinking the same thing about you," Piccolo smiled slightly, then got deadly serious. "Krillen… What in the hell happened here?!"

The question appeared to be more than Krillen could handle, as he burst into tears. Piccolo grunted, sensing it might take Krillen a while to gather his emotions, and it did. Under the circumstances, Piccolo remained patient. A few minutes passed, and finally Krillen managed to funnel a sketchy recap to Piccolo. "I'm not sure how to explain it… Everything happened all at once! We were sitting at home doing a whole lot of nothing, when we saw this story on the news about towns all over the world being attacked and decimated by some sort of alien monsters. Eighteen and I were going to go check it out when all of the sudden about a dozen of these scorpion type monsters dropped out of some portal that appeared in the sky… We tried to fight them off, but they were just too much for us to handle… We managed to fight a few of them off, and even took out a couple in the process, but it was only a matter of time… Before I knew what hit us we started dropping one by one… I watched one of those things catch Eighteen from behind and stung her, and the next thing I knew she wasn't moving… I just snapped, and jumped on the back of one of those things. It wasn't the smartest thing I ever did, because the next thing I knew I was flung through the wall there, and passed out. I guess they forgot about me, or thought I was already dead because when I came to they were long gone… Then I saw what happened to Roshi and… And Marren, and I just…"

Piccolo's expression didn't change as Krillen broke down again. It was times like this he wished he was better with emotional moments like this one, but he wasn't and he wasn't about to pretend like he was. "Krillen, I know this is tough for you, but please try to compose yourself. Now, can you tell me what these creatures look like?"

"Why bother telling you," Krillen sniffed, and wiped his eyes dry with his arm. "Follow me, and I'll show you."

Krillen lead Piccolo to another section of the house, and the Namek's eyes widened at the sight of what was left of what looked like a giant scorpion. The only real difference was a long neck, and a human shaped head with troll-like facial features. At least he assumed that the head once belonged to the creature, for all the different pieces of him scattered all over the room. "It's hideous! What the heck happened to it anyway?"

"Let's just say I got a little antsy, and used the big freak for target practice," Krillen said with little feeling.

"I see," Piccolo replied hardly able to blame him. "We better get out of here. With any luck we can catch up to that spaceship, and get the guys who unleashed these creatures on Earth."

"Yeah, why not," Krillen mumbled like someone whose world had already ended. "Not like I have any other place to go…"

********

"How the hell did they do this?!" Gohan growled, as flew over Satan City. If possible, the city looked even worse than the other's he'd flown over that day. Different from the other towns however, he did sense one trace of Ki throughout the mostly deescalate town, and belonged to a person he couldn't of mistaken in a sea of one million. "Hold on Videl, I'm coming! I just hope she's somewhere safe…"

  
In reality, Videl was still back at her home, or at least what was left of the Satan Mansion, and that was a place you couldn't quite call safe. The building now lye in ruins mostly due to one stubborn girl who refused to be beaten easily. "Damn it! Doesn't this thing ever give up?!" Videl asked herself as she darted out from behind a line of ruble to another one as the monster pursuing her crashed through the shelter she had just fled. 

Videl looked up, and her eyes widened finding that the creature was already over top of her. It was a hideous monster in the shape of a giant scorpion, with the exception of the troll like head attached to the end of a long neck that protruded from the top of it's torso. The monsters known as Durgan's only stood about six feet tall, close to nine if you counted the neck and head, but they compensated for that with a body nearly three times that long. Videl ducked out of the way of one of the Durgan's pincers as it snapped for her neck, then rolled out of the way as it's stinger rained down at her. Videl tried to jump up and run, but lost her footing and found herself kissing the dirt. That momentary stumble was just enough time for the Durgan to run her down, and Videl soon found herself flat on her back boxed in by eight crusty legs, four on each side of her. This would of surely meant death for any ordinary person, but luckily for Videl she didn't give up that easily even with the monster's face inching down ever closer to hers. A putrid stench strewed from his mouth, gushing straight into Videl's face causing her to grimace.

"Awe! What the hell have you been eating?!" Videl growled, before realizing she probably didn't want to know. She arched her back upward suddenly, planting her feet hard into the lower jaw of the creatures face. Videl had barely scrambled to her feet, when the Durgan growled angrily and whacked Videl in the back with its pincer. Videl went sailing forward, eating more dirt as she skidded along the ground. Nearly knocked unconscious from the impact with the ground, Videl was barely aware of her surroundings while the Durgan stalked ever closer.

"I can't…" Videl groaned, unable to pick her body up off the ground. "I can't let it end like this…"

Videl wasn't aware of how close the monster was to her. Lucky for her, it wouldn't get any closer. Videl's eyes widened as she heard what sounded like a sonic boom, a loud high-pitched scream from the monster, and then the sound of something large crashing through a nearby building all in the span of about three seconds. The next thing her conscious mind noticed was a pair of hands on her shoulders, shaking her gently.

"Videl?! Please tell me you're all right! Talk to me please Videl!"

"Go… Gohan?!" Videl shouted happily, and threw her arms around his neck. Gohan returned the embrace, and held her close to him. "Thank goodness you're still alive… I thought you were gone too…"

"Hey, I'm not easy to get rid of trust me," Gohan assured her. "Now, are you okay? What exactly happened here?"

"I'm sore, but I'll live," Videl sniffed, still clinging on tight to him. "I'm not even sure what happened! These things just came out of nowhere, and started destroying stuff left and right… I tried to fight them off, but I couldn't even touch the damn things! My dad even tried to… He died trying to protect me because I couldn't…"

"Don't beat yourself up about it Videl, there was just nothing you could do," Gohan said solemnly, holding her tight considering it was the only thing he himself could do for her. His mind did have an interesting time processing this information however. It looks like the big goof did finally at least try to live up to his billing, and paid the ultimate price for it. Maybe he had actually learned something…

Neither one of them wanted to move, but it soon became obvious that they didn't have a choice. A rumble came from the wreckage that used to be the Satan mansion, and both teens looked up to see the Durgan picking himself up out of the rubble. Videl looked wary as Gohan stood up, staring down the beast with conviction. "I see our little friend here thinks he's a cockroach or something."

"Gohan be careful!" Videl cried out to deaf ears as the boy stalked over to the monster. Gohan wasn't expecting much out of a creature that had been knocked half senseless already as it was. However, the creature was about to receive some help. Gohan looked to his right with his eyes, and watched as another Durgan appeared out of nowhere crawling over the piles of rubble scattered all around. 

"Great, they must really think they're roach's, now they're mutilating too! I looks like things are going to get interesting…" Unfortunately for Gohan things got interesting a little too quickly for his liking. The monsters moved much faster than he had anticipated they would as they rushed him, one of the monsters knocking Gohan down to his butt with a back swing of one if it's pincers.

"Gohan!" Videl gritted her teeth angry at the situation, and with herself for knowing that she could do nothing to help him. She could barely help herself when those things attacked, and even if she could do something she was going to have a hell of a time doing it. A scaly orange tail appeared over her head, and at the sound of a snarl Videl whirled around to find yet a third Durgan with its sights locked firmly on her. She did the only logical thing she could do. She ran like hell, moving away from his piercing stinger forcing it to impale the ground. "Another one! Where the hell did you come from?"

Gohan managed to knock the creatures back when he heard Videl scream. He turned his head, and to his horror found another one of those things chasing down Videl. His first instinct was to run and help her, but with submitting to that urge left himself open for a second too long, an opportunity his two adversaries took full advantage of. One monster slammed him to the ground, while the other climbed up onto his back and held him down with its long pointy legs. He readied his stinger to make the kill, but Gohan didn't waste much time before powering the big lummox off of him. He stood up to defend himself against the monsters with one tough fact nagging at his mind. Videl was on her own for the time being…

"Ah damn it!" Videl cursed, as she ran into a dead end… A section of wall that used to have three more around it. Videl turned quickly to run to her left, but stopped in her tracks when she saw her pursuer was already on top of her. The Durgan shot his hand out at her neck, and somehow Videl managed to power his claw fingers back temporarily preventing him from closing its pincer on her neck. After a brief struggle, she managed to wiggle herself free, but hit the dirt hard in the process leaving herself open to the monsters assault. She closed her eyes waiting for some sort of impact, but it never came…

"Videl, get out of the way!" she heard somebody yell to her from above. Confused itself, the monster looked up only to have a purple streak land feet first on it's back, driving the Durgan to the ground.

"Ryo?!…" When the shock faded a few seconds later, she realized it might be best for her heath if she got out of the way. She was a bit frightened for the boy at first, unsure if he could really handle the thing he was riding. She wasn't as concerned with Gohan, he had defeated Cell after all, though she wasn't thrilled that he was trying to fight off two of them. Her eyes widened in amazement as Ryo produced a purple sword like weapon in his hand, made out of pure energy, and then watched him drive it down into the center of the monsters back. The Durgan squealed as its spine was pierced, and it collapsed in pain. Moaning in agony, Ryo lifted the energy blade, and promptly sliced the monsters head off preventing it from suffering or causing any further agony for anybody else . Videl cringed when the severed head rolled towards her feet before punting it away.

"Ryo, you're alive!" Videl said, stating the obvious as he hopped off the monsters back landing next to Videl. 

"Funny, I was just as surprised to see you."

"Well, we can get reacquainted later! Gohan needs your help, there's still two more of…" Videl turned back towards Gohan, and immediately paused. Gohan already had one of the monsters lying motionless on the ground, and was currently in the process of punching the lights out of the other one. 

Ryo didn't seem nearly as surprised as Videl. "That's funny, looks like he's doing just fine to me."

"How does he?…"

"Don't worry about it, it's what Sayians do."

"That's it! I've had enough of you!" Gohan growled, and pulled his arms back. "Ka-me-ha-me-ha!" 

  
The blast enveloped the Durgan, revealing nothing but ashes as the burst of energy fizzled out. Videl looked on in complete shock. She knew Gohan and Ryo were much stronger then she originally gave them credit for, but this was absolutely ridiculous. She had watched swarms of those monsters, seemingly invincible at the time, destroy her entire town and kill countless people including her father without so much as scratching them in return. Now these two come along, and twenty seconds later three of those monsters were lying on the ground dead. Gohan rushed over to Videl to make sure she was okay before turning to address Ryo.

"I'm assuming the situation wasn't all that great over on your end either?…"

Ryo shook his head solemnly. "Nope… Completely wiped out, along with everybody in it… I'm afraid the entire world may have suffered this fate by now…"

"The entire world?…" Videl chocked, not even fathoming the thought of total world devastation until that very moment. "This is just… I thought it was just our town, or the country maybe! But the world?! These things couldn't possibly move that fast!"

"According to Satara they can…" Gohan cringed. "From what we've heard about these guys, they can destroy entire planets in a matter of hours, and Earth is a relatively small planet in the great scheme of things…"

Videl looked confused, but it wasn't a relatively new feeling for her, not since she started hanging around Gohan that was. "Who's Satara? And you know who the guys are that did this?! How?!"

Gohan sighed, and looked up towards the sky. "I'll explain on the way… Right now, we need to get to Dende's lookout and fast."

********

"So, you're saying that if anything happened to this Dende guy, then the Dragon Balls will disappear?" Videl asked Gohan after he finished explaining to her where they were going, and why. 

"Yeah…" Gohan said anxiously, flying as fast as he could towards Dende's lookout, but attempting to travel slow enough for Videl so she could keep up. She wasn't quite up to par with the others yet, but wasn't so slow that she held them back too much. "And if that happens, then any chance we have to fix what happened here today goes by the wayside… Hopefully, he'll be okay though. He isn't exactly the fighting type, and I think he's smart enough to realize with what was going down on Earth that his survival would be important to restoring the planet."  


"You know I'm not trying to be negative, but that doesn't mean the pirates didn't go to him," Ryo added.

Gohan's expression remained serious. "That's what worries me too… We're almost there, and I think I feel several presences at the lookout… Their Ki's are kind of low, so I can't make them out. There's only one way to find out, so let's go!" 

Several minutes later, Dende's lookout came into the view of the trio. Sensing three presences approaching, Piccolo stood out on the field in front of Dende's house seeing whom he had expected to find preparing to land at the lookout. He was a little surprised to notice Videl was with them, but was thankful she was still alive for Gohan's sake. 

"Piccolo! You're here already! Tell me, is Dende okay?" Gohan asked with a mixed tone of excitement and dread. 

Piccolo smirked slightly at his pupil. "Relax, he's fine. In fact, we've been waiting for you guys to show up. Krillen's inside too, but he's a little worse for ware… He lost his wife and daughter in the attack… Tell me, how is your mother and Goten? Are they?…"

Gohan gritted his teeth, shaking slightly. "Goten was no where to be found, but my mom… She's gone…"

"Oh Gohan, I'm so sorry," Videl said, wrapping up his arm within hers. Gohan smiled at her weakly.

"Don't worry about it Videl… As long as we have the Dragon Balls, there's still hope. There's nothing that happened today that can't be fixed with them."

  
"Hold on a second Gohan," Ryo interrupted. "Didn't you use the Dragon Balls a few months back to wish back the moon? I thought it took a full year for the balls to recharge?"

"It does normally, but I didn't have any need for a second wish, so I didn't make it. Dende explained to me once that if I only made one wish, then it only take the Dragon Balls a few months to recharge rather than a year. More than enough time should've passed since then…" Gohan's head snapped around slightly. Confused, Videl looked around her and noticed Piccolo and Ryo were looking out towards the sky as well.

"Hey guys, what's up?"

"Somebody else is coming," Gohan told her. "I think its Vegeta, but there seems to be two people with him. I assume one of them is Trunks, but the other Ki feels too strong to be Bulma… Maybe?…"

Videl noticed the hopeful glint in Gohan's eyes, though she wasn't sure why it was there. Not until the three Sayians come into view, and a jubilant looking Goten waved at his brother. "Gohan! Hey, up here!"

"Goten!" Gohan cheered, relieved to see his brother alive and well. Goten sailed into his brother's arms, nearly knocking him over with the impact. "I'm glad to see your okay…"

Vegeta and Trunks landed a few moments later, both with looks bordering along the lines of remorse and anger. The first thing Gohan noticed upon their arrival was that Bulma was not with them. Gohan didn't even have to ask about her whereabouts, the look Vegeta gave him upon eye contact was all he needed to know. No point in causing them any further pain by asking a stupid question with an obvious answer. Unfortunately, Goten wasn't thinking along the same lines with him, as he tugged at his brother's pants leg. 

"Gohan, I was so scared! You went on that spaceship, and then those monsters attacked I was worried because I didn't know what happened to you… Hey, where's mommy? Did she come up here with you?… Gohan?" Goten asked worriedly, when Gohan didn't answer right away.

Gohan's face went white, and he failed to answer quickly. He gathered himself despite slightly watering eyes, and dropped to one knee placing his hands on Goten's shoulders. "Listen to me Goten. Mom is gone for now, but don't dwell on that for now. We're going to get her, and everybody else back Goten. Everything will be all right okay?"

"Huh? What?… I don't understand," Goten whined tearing up slightly. "Where did mom go to?"

"Let's just say she's visiting dad for a while," Gohan lied somewhat, unsure if his mother would be granted the same gift that his father had been. Oh well, Goten didn't need to be aware of that little fact. "We'll wish her back soon enough, so don't you worry yourself about it okay?"

"Okay…" Goten said softly. "You mean with the dragon balls?"

"Exactly," Gohan smiled for his brother.

"Hold on a second, what do you mean spaceship?" Videl asked finally, waiting for a point where the little scene between the two brothers appeared to be over. "What were you guys doing on a spaceship when those things attacked anyway?"

"I'll tell you why?!" Vegeta growled, with a clench of his fist. "They suckered us onto their ship so we wouldn't be down on Earth to oppose them when they attacked, and blocked out any capability we had to sense what was going on down on the surface of Earth! They made fools out of us, that's exactly what they did!" Vegeta roared, and put his fist into the ground. The small floating island shook slightly, a large hole left in the surface where Vegeta's fist hit the ground."

"Dad…" Trunks gulped, wisely keeping his distance.

"Lured you on their space ship?" Videl asked, once the rumbling stopped. "Why did they do that?"

"Like Vegeta said, so we wouldn't be on Earth when their monsters attacked," Gohan explained. "They tricked us claming to be holding some sort of tournament on their ship, and we went along to make sure they were on the up and up… As it turns out, it was agreeing to board the ship that was our fatal mistake. They led Piccolo, Ryo, Vegeta, and myself on board planning to capture and enslave us once we came inside. In the process, it also left nobody on Earth that was strong enough to defend against the pirate's monsters…"

"Maybe, but we don't have time to dwell on that now!" Piccolo jumped into the conversation. "The sooner we find the Dragon Balls, the sooner we can get things back to normal around here…"

"Then why are we wasting time here for?!" Vegeta barked, and pulled a large round object from his belt. "I'm lucky I remembered to grab this ridiculous radar device before we left what was left of Capsule Corp. I almost forget about it."

"I'm afraid that your Dragon Balls won't do you that much good in this case," a low almost snakelike voice spoke from inside of Dende's home. Everyone turned towards the voice curiously, except for Piccolo who already knew who the voice belonged to. Standing beside of Dende was none other then the Supreme Kai himself, whose face was dirty and the clothes on his body were ripped and torn like he'd just been through a war. Krillen wandered out behind them, a look of someone who was overwhelmed on his face.

"Supreme Kai? You're here too?" Gohan said. The Kai nodded his head.

"What do you mean the Dragon Balls won't help?!" Vegeta growled, demanding an answer form the short purple man.

"I mean just that. Dende and Piccolo have informed me that you've used the Dragon Balls in the past to wish the Earth back to normal after a devastating event on the planet. Well, I'm afraid that this case is a quite different. You see, Kashunari's horde is a unique band of space pirates. They aren't interested in treasure or power, like pirates are normally associated with. They travel around the universe collecting souls, literally stealing the life right out of their victims by way of Kashunari's pet monsters called Durgan's. I'm unaware if any of you actually saw one of them, but they aren't pretty.

"Yeah, I saw of them too up close," Videl cringed, not even needing to ask if that was the for mention creature Shin was speaking of. "Gohan and Ryo had to fight off three of them after they found me…"

"I'm guessing they absorb the souls through that stinger thing poking out of their butt hey?" Ryo assumed. 

"Exactly. They store life energy until their capacity is full, then when they re-board the spaceship transfer it into special storage tanks designed by some of Kashunari's top scientific minds. Kashunari has lived over 800 years, and has achieved enormous power through this method literally using the life force of other living beings to make himself more powerful. That's why it won't do you much good to use the Dragon Balls to restore the planet, because Kashunari will still be in possession of all the living people on the planet. I'm not sure if it would be within your Dragon's power to take back the billions of souls Kashunari has kidnapped. The planet will be restored, just no people in it."

"So, you're saying it's hopeless?" Gohan winced, his expression growing so dark it looked like the sun was setting in his face.

"Not exactly…" Dende jumped into the conversation. Shin smiled, knowing Dende was going to give them the one bit of good news they actually had for them… About as good as it got at the moment anyway. "All you'd have to do is wait to restore the planet until you've gotten all the souls back."

"We can do that?" Gohan asked in disbelief. "It's not already too late?"

"Not at all Gohan," Shin told him. "Kashunari can't absorb the life energy he's gathered from Earth, until he gets back to his home planet. If you can get to him before that time, you can free the souls of the Earthlings before they meet their final fate. Then you'd be able to wish everybody back, however, if you fail to save them in time they'll be lost for all eternity."

"Well that's about as high stakes as you can get," Gohan mumbled. "How long do we have before he reaches his home planet."

Shin smiled at this. "Well, they live all the way on the other side of the universe. Truthfully, I was shocked to see that they traveled this far out of their way just to attack a relatively small planet like Earth… I'm still curious as to why…"

Vegeta growled in frustration. "Will you get to the point already?! We don't have time for all this mindless chitchat, or your goofy curiosities! How much time do we have?!"

Shin coughed, and answered Vegeta's question with a smile. "I'd say about fifty years or so."

Just about everyone fell on their face, except for Vegeta who changed his way of thinking to maybe they did have a little time to spare after all. A bead of sweat formed over Ryo's head. "Dang… I thought I took some long trips…"

Dende cleared his throat to gather everyone's attention. "Yes, well that may seem like an eternity, it won't do you a lot of good if they get too far ahead of us. I've already sensed their spaceship leaving Earths atmosphere so…"

"Well, well, the little green bean finally speaks!" Vegeta snapped, and stalked over to the little Namek. He grabbed Dende by the collar of his robe, forcing his head up so he was looking into his eyes. "And just where the hell were you when those monsters attacked huh?! Up here cowering like a scared kitten?! What the hell kind of Guardian are you anyhow?! I have no doubt that you just stood up here and watched while the planet you're supposed to be looking out for was reduced to a living hell hole!"

"Vegeta I…"

"Vegeta, that's enough!" Gohan shouted, trying to pry Vegeta's arm off of his childhood friend. "For one, he's not much of a fighter to begin with, and two if anything happened to him we wouldn't have any Dragon Balls to wish anybody back! Don't you think he knew that?!"

Vegeta stared Dende down, and with a growl tossed the boy backward. Dende managed to keep his feet, but was still rather stunned by the entire scenario. "Fine then! Let's find those damn Dragon Balls, and get after that spaceship! We're wasting time standing around here!"

"We might have to do some damage control as well," Piccolo added. "There may be some more of those Durgan creatures crawling around on the surface of the planet. We definitely want to make sure we clear them out before we do any sort of wishing."

An evil smile formed on Vegeta's lips. "Well, I most certainly hope there's a few more out there somewhere, because I'm going to show them first hand what it's it like to go up against an angry Sayian warrior!"  


__

Wow, I've never seen Vegeta like this before, Gohan thought to himself. _Losing Bulma must really be getting to him. I guess it's not surprising to see him reacting in this way… On top of that he's angry, but he's not going off the deep end and destroying everything in sight… Maybe because he knows he can get her back? I don't know, but at least he's willing to take out his frustrations on the bad guys for once instead of the first person he sees._

"Well, what are we going to do first then?" Ryo asked. "Find the Dragon Balls, or go after Kashunari's ship?"

"We may need to find the Dragon Balls just to have a way to get to his ship," Gohan replied, his thumb and index finger resting under his chin. "Unless you know of another way Shin…"

"I'm afraid I don't…" Shin looked over at Vegeta, picking up on an interesting thought pattern from him. "Though. from the looks of things Vegeta might."

  
Vegeta snorted, not liking the thought of somebody else in his head. "There might be a ship that's still in operation back home… I need to go see if I can find another radar anyway. If we have to resort to an all out search for the Dragon Balls then it would be better if we split up. I hate to say it, but it might be better if somebody accompanied me back. I might need an extra set of hands."

"Sounds like a plan to me. The rest of us will start searching while you check back at Capsule Corp… Krillen, would you mind going with him?" Gohan looked over at Krillen who didn't answer right away. He was sitting up against one of the support beams of Dende's house. He looked at Gohan, then lowered his head dejectedly. "Krillen?… What's wrong Krillen, didn't you hear me?"

"I'm sorry Gohan… There's no point in me going along, I'm useless anyway. I couldn't help my family when they needed me, so what good am I going to do against a ship full of pirates? I'd just hold you down…"

"Don't talk like that Krillen," Gohan told him. "You've been a big help to us plenty of times before, though you never were the strongest out of us. I know you're upset over Eighteen and Marren, but we all lost somebody today buddy. Now's the time we have to focus on getting them back."

"Why, so I can let them down again? So I can let everybody else down… Forget about it, I'm better off staying out of the way…"

"Krillen…" Gohan shook his head, unsure of what to say.

"Argh, we don't have time for this!" Vegeta growled, and charged towards Krillen. He grabbed him by his shirt collar just like the way he had to Dende before, only this time lifted the little man up of the ground. Needless to say, Vegeta scared the living hell out of Krillen. "What kind of man are you anyway?! You're going to sit there and sulk, while you let the bastards that killed your family get away scot-free! You're right, you are useless! A pathetic waste of flesh and bones, you miserable little twit! Either get off your ass and do something about it, or slap on a diaper and crawl back into the crib where you belong! If you were half the man the girl or the two boys were, then you might actually amount to something!"

Vegeta threw Krillen back to the ground, and stormed off. Nobody said to a word to him… Though they may not have agreed with the way Vegeta said it, the basic point of the message was true to everyone there. Right or wrong, the tongue-lashing seemed to seep into Krillen's head. "All right then Vegeta… I'll go with you I guess…"  
  
"Forget about it!" Vegeta snorted, completely disgusted with him at the moment. How he despised cowardliness unless it was he the cowards fearing. "I need somebody that can actually be of some use to me! Come on boy, we don't have time to waste!"

Ryo's eyebrow twitched upward, as Vegeta passed him. He shrugged his shoulders, and waved good-bye to the others. "Well, see you guys later I guess. Good luck, and be careful."

"Bye," Videl said, as Ryo flew off after Vegeta. Gohan looked over at Krillen who still seemed a bit out of it after Vegeta chewed him out. Gohan walked over, not wanting his old friend to feel any more out of place than he already was, and made a request of Krillen. 

"Hey buddy. Would you mind looking after Goten and Trunks while the rest of us search for the Dragon Balls? It would be a big help to us."

"What?! Why!" Goten whined. "Why can't we go too?"

Trunks protested as well. "Yeah, we don't need a baby sitter! We want to help!"

"Sorry guys, it's too dangerous. There might be more of those things out there."

"We know!" Trunks persisted. "That's why we want to go!"

"Sorry guys, but the answer's still no," Gohan smiled. "Maybe once we're sure it's safe down there then we might find a way for you guys to help. Until then, stay up here with Krillen okay."

The two youthful Sayians argued for another minute or so before Gohan got an insincere promise from the two boys to stay put. It wasn't very reassuring, but it would have to do for now. Gohan, Piccolo, and Videl wished good-bye to the others and left Dende's lookout leaving the quartet left at the lookout staring up at them. Krillen's eyes thinned out, as he looked over at Dende. "So you're still here too huh? So much for Gohan's ego stroking…"

Dende smiled at him. "Hey, don't talk like that Krillen. I'm no good with kids, they really do need you to look after them."

"Yeah…" Krillen mumbled, and eyed the two boys. They both had their arms crossed looking grumpy, Goten adding a bit of poutiness to his expression. _Like I could stop those two if they decide to go AWOL. I'd have better luck trying to bounce a balloon off a porcupine!_

********

In the past it could take months to finish all the traveling required to locate and gather all the Dragon Balls, as Bulma, Goku and Krillen could all attest to. Nowadays, with advance Capsule Corp technologies, not to mention a hawked up Sayian, a Namek, and the overseer of the known universe, months turned into a few hours. A little less then three hours since they had left Dende's lookout, and Gohan and company had already gathered four of the little round objects. Videl and Shin seemed particularly interested in them, each studying the balls as the group raced through the air towards the next Dragon Ball.

"So this is a Dragon Ball huh?" Videl asked, trying to be careful not to drop the small but valuable item. "I thought they'd be bigger."

"They were on Namek," Gohan told her, recalling those old memories form his boyhood. "About the size of a human head actually. I like them better this way though. Fits in the palm of your hand, and they aren't as much of a hassle to carry."  


"Fascinating," Shin remarked, staring at the ball in Videl's hand. The other three were stashed away safely in a satchel at Gohan's side, which ran out of room after the first three. "I've heard tales of the Namekian Dragon Balls, and the magical dragon that could grant wishes but I never imagined there would be a set located on Earth. I guessed I should've assumed that there would be with a Namek serving as Guardian of this planet."

Piccolo smirked. "Sounds to me like you haven't paid enough attention to this part of the universe."

"Probably not as much as I should," Shin admitted. "There was never any real reason to until recently."

"Excuse me Shin sir…" Gohan said, referring to him by the name he insisted they call him upon why he was accompanying them. For whatever reason the Kai didn't really care for being formal, or so it seemed. At least at the present time anyway… Maybe it was the situation. Anyway, Shin turned his head towards Gohan. Immediately, Gohan's face went red, and he turned his head away. "Um… Never mind…"

Shin smiled weakly, before his expression took a dark tone. "I know you've been wondering if it would be proper to ask about Kibito… Don't concern yourself. He died the same way he lived his life. Protecting me, and fighting by my side…"

"I'm sorry…" Gohan mumbled.

"So am I, but I won't let that consume me. If we're successful he'll be back, along with all the others from your planet. Maybe I'm just an optimist, but I think our chances for victory are rising by the minute…"

Gohan smiled, finding comfort in the Kai's confidence. He'd be lying if he said he was completely convinced they were going to pull this off. Suddenly, the dragon radar began to beep. Gohan looked down at the screen, and saw a little bleeping 5 approach the middle of the screen, signaling the next Dragon Ball was nearby. "Hey, we're already on top of another one! We'll have them all before you know it guys! We should probably land about here…"

That was easy for Gohan to say. The land below was a small rocky and ridged mountain range, but nothing the four of them couldn't handle. They touched their feet to the ground, and split up searching every last crevasse and cave burrowed into the rock in search of wherever the fifth ball might be hiding. It didn't take long for the dragon radar to lead Gohan right to it. There it was, the three star ball propped up behind of a big rock sticking out of the ground, the only thing keeping the ball from rolling down the side of the rocky cliff it seemed. Gohan was prepared to announce his discovery when he heard Videl's voice carrying through the thin air.

"Ah, gross! I didn't find the Dragon Ball, but I did find two more bodies… The funny thing is they don't look human! Do one of you want to come, and take a look?! You know more about these alien guys than I do!"

Gohan, Shin, and Piccolo converged towards the spot Videl was standing. Gohan and Piccolo looked down unimpressed by the pair of corpses, but the second Shin laid eyes on them he gasped like he had just swallowed his tongue. "No… It can't be!"

"What's the matter Kai?" Piccolo asked, concerned by his abrupt reaction.

Shin didn't respond right way. Instead, he knelt down in between the two bodies to make sure his eyes weren't playing tricks on him. "Well I'll be… It is… Babadi, and Dabora…"

"Babadi, and Dabora?" Gohan repeated. "Aren't those the guys you said you came to Earth looking for?"

"Indeed," Shin confirmed, and rose to his feet. "The evil wizard, and the demon king himself… I guess the number of Durgan's must've been too much for even them to handle… My only hope is that they didn't have enough time to put their evil plans into action before they met their sudden fate…"

"Are you referring to that Buu creature you mentioned?" Piccolo asked.

"Yes… I don't see any signs that he's been in the area however… If I could find that damn ball he was imprisoned in then maybe I could put my mind at ease. With Babadi gone there's no one else alive who can revive him, so Buu will never be a threat again."

"Ah, hah, huh…" Videl stammered, looking white as a ghost. "Ball?… I kind of saw something that looked like some sort of shell on the other side of that small mountain over there… That might not be the ball you were talking about would it?"

"From the sound of your voice let's hope not," Shin grunted, sounding just as nervous as Videl had. He wasted no time in sprinting around to the other side of the mountain. The other's chased after him, and stopped when they noticed the Kai standing still shaking slightly, as he stared directly ahead of him. What they saw was a large circled shaped stand, with what looked like two halves of a broken eggshell lying on each side of it. The rest of the Z-senshi were hit with a sudden wave of dread that the Kai was displaying much more physically.

"Umm… Shin sir… That wouldn't be the ball would it?…" Videl shouldn't even of had to ask. Just by the way the Kai was shaking should've been a good enough answer for her. He looked exactly like Erasa that time they went through the haunted house at the fair together a couple years back. The only difference between then and now was that the demons, the monsters, and threat of death were all too horribly real.

Shin regrouped just enough to stutter. "This… Is the last thing we needed right now…"

Piccolo grimaced, as his head snapped upward and Gohan's soon did the same. Videl was afraid to ask him, but did anyway. "Gohan, what's wrong?…"

"We're not alone…" Gohan growled, feeling a strong presence nearby. 

Behind that mountain over there," Piccolo grunted, and turned his body in that direction as did the others. In the distance they could hear what sounded like the sounds of a child humming, and the faint patter of feet pounding on the ground. As the presence crept closer, the words to the primitive song whoever it was, was singing caught their ears. "Da, da, da, da duh. Da, da, da, da, at, dah!"

"No… It can't be him…" Shin recoiled in horror. "Not again…"

The Z-fighters prepared themselves for what they imagined to be the most horrid creature they had ever seen. What they got was a fat pinkish creature that appeared to be wearing a cape and a diaper. Never the less, the pure strength coming from the creature was enough to demand their respect. The creature did a little dance as it appeared before them, turning to face the four strange people staring at him once he'd finished his little routine. The tub of lard smiled stupidly, and waved toward the Z-senshi as if it were saying hello. "Hi, hi! You come play with Buu?"

********

"Damn piece of junk!" Vegeta growled, and threw the faulty Dragon Ball radar into the sea he was conveniently flying over. "What a waste of time! It was dumb luck we stumbled across the stupid ball we did find!"

Ryo watched the ridiculously large wave rise above the water that the little object made after splashing into the water. Undoubtedly, a large number of fish were senselessly slaughtered in the process. "Maybe we'll get lucky, and the others will have…"

An invisible clap of light flashed in front of Ryo's face, prompting him to come to a violent stop, creating a loud boom as he stopped. Sensing Ryo's halt, Vegeta came to a much gentler stop and glared the boy's way. "Boy, what are you doing? Did you get a cramp in your butt?!"

Ryo didn't reply right away. He stood still except for a slight shaking, and his mouth hanging open. It almost looked to Vegeta as if Ryo was staring at, or hearing something Vegeta could not.

__

Ryo, can you hear me? It's vital that you and Vegeta meet with us quickly! There's no time to lose!

Supreme Kai? Man, I really wish you'd stop doing that, it's starting to freak me out!

"Boy, are you ignoring me?!" Vegeta growled, after a full minute with no response. He flew up towards him determined to get an answer out of the boy, even if he had to slap it out of him. Before Vegeta could put those thoughts into motion, Ryo snapped out of his trance and spoke out to Vegeta.

"We've got to find Gohan and the other's quick! Shin just told me that the Buu monster he was looking for is on the lose, and it's going to take all of us if we have any chance of stopping it."

Vegeta's face got serious, even for him. "Well then… We'll just see about that when we get there! What are you just floating around there for, let's get going!" With that Vegeta and Ryo sped off into the distance, locking in on a strong negative energy that had suddenly made itself known.  


********

"That's Majin Buu?" Piccolo asked, staring at the creature in disbelief. Disbelief that this creature could pose a threat to a flock of geese let alone the entire universe.

"Yes there's no mistaking it… That's definitely Buu…" Shin murmured, sounding as if he was already conceding death.

"He don't look like much of a threat to me," Videl scoffed. "Well, maybe to a bakery or two, but not to the entire world! What's left for him to terrorize anyway?"

"I wouldn't be too sure about that Videl," Gohan said through clenched teeth. "He may not look it, but he's strong… It's the most hollow energy pattern I've ever felt, but it's tremendous."

"You really think so?" Videl muttered, a bit nervous now that she had an opinion from someone she trusted whole-heartedly. 

"Yeah… You better back away Videl, this could get ugly…"

"Okay…" Videl backpedaled a few steps. "You be careful all right?"

"Buu, Buu, Buu," the pink creature sung, as he wobbled around the landscape. Tired of its childish antics, the Supreme Kai finally chocked down his fear and addressed the beast.

  
"Enough fooling around Buu! We're not about to let you unleash your reign of terror on this universe again! You understand me Buu?"

Buu stopped dancing, and glared Shin's way in a not so flattering manner. Soon enough, that sinister smile was back across his lips once more. "Me remember you. You help lock Buu in ball. Me get you for that one! Yeah, Buu get you good!"

Shin gasped, and took a step back. Piccolo and Gohan stepped forward standing side by side with the Kai. "Don't worry Shin, we're with you all the way!"

They waited for the monster to attack, but nothing came. All Buu did was stick his tongue out at them, and started to prance around again. Having seen enough foolishness from the bloated pink blob, Piccolo growled and charged the homemade demon. "Enough of this! You're going down Buu!"

"Piccolo no!" Shin screeched with his arm out stretched.

Piccolo slammed his fist into the pink blobs face, watching his taffy like skin cave in. With a childish giggle, Buu's cheek popped back out into place, leaving a stammering Piccolo staring at him in shock. "You hit Buu. Now my turn!"

Buu reared back, and whacked Piccolo right underneath the chin. The Namek went flying backwards, whizzing past the Kai and Gohan before creating a large crater in the side of the mountain behind them. "Piccolo!"

"You see what we're up against Gohan?…" Shin grimaced. "My only hope is that Babadi didn't have time to release Buu before he was at full power, but even if he did not Majin Buu is still the most devastating force the universe has ever seen! Our only option is to attack him together. I'm not sure if it will do any good, but we must try something! Maybe at least stall him until Ryo and Vegeta get here… Maybe the five of us will be strong enough collectively to over come him."

"If there's anything left of us when they get here…" Gohan, who had gone super just moments before hand, looked back and watched Piccolo pull himself out of the crater he'd made in the mountain. He tumbled out of the hole, and fell to his knees on the ground below. 

"All we can do is try… Now attack!"

Working off the Kai's cue, Gohan and Shin rushed Buu who smiled the entire time like he was a kid visiting the carnival. For whatever reason the monster stood perfectly still and let the Kai and Gohan pummel him until he looked like a chewed up wad of bubble gum. One more forceful blow from Gohan, and Buu was sent sprawling down on his back. The pink blob wiggled his toes and legs for a second, before bouncing back up to his feet. With a cheery shout of his name, Buu summoned up the energy necessary, and all the fist and foot marks around his body popped back into shape.

Shin cringed with fear. "He's just as horrid as ever… We hit him with everything we have, and it's as if he didn't even feel a single blow…"

"Humph! I'm not too sure about that yet," Gohan scoffed. "I'm not giving in yet, or ever!"

"That was fun! Now Buu's turn!" Buu hurled himself like a shot put, splitting a gap between Shin and Gohan as he zipped by them. Gohan turned, and rushed at the creature's backside. Buu's eyes veered to the side slightly, and an even more sickening smirk spread across his pink lips. "You go bye-bye now!"

Buu shot a quick blast out from his hand that struck Gohan flush on the chest. Gohan let out a yell as he was knocked backward, grunting and groaning after he hit the ground and rolled a few feet away from the battlefield.

"Gohan!" Shin yelped, beginning to fear for his own safety, and with good reason. Buu jiggled his way overtop of Shin, and sent him crashing to the ground with a double axe-handle blow to the middle of his back. Shin grunted and spit up dirt as he lifted his face off the ground. Buu pulled his foot back, and kicked Shin right in the ribs, punting him a good fifty feet away near where Piccolo had crashed earlier.

"Gohan no!" Videl cried, after watching Buu zap him. The only thing keeping her from rushing in foolishly to try to help was this new found feeling of helplessness she'd obtained after learning just how much stronger Gohan and his friends were compared to her and her father. That feeling could only suppress her competitive blood for a short time however. When she watched Buu lay the boot to Shin, and then crash land just a few feet away from her, hiding behind a rock just wasn't going to cut it any longer. She was the only person left standing, and if there was no one else to fight it…

"This is fun… Who next?!"

Videl grimaced, and even began to step out from behind her rock, when a loud booming voice rained down from above. "How about the Prince of the Sayians you over grown ball of lint!" Vegeta growled, and swooped down pounding Buu in the face with his fist. Buu rocked backward, and for the first time seemed to be affected by an attack from one of the Z-fighters. If not, then for some reason Buu frowned and stared after Vegeta as the Super Sayian stopped in mid-air and smirked down at the Majin creature.

"What's the matter fat boy? Did I hurt you?"

Before Buu could respond, another annoying gnat fired on him from his blind side. Buu screamed out loud as a purple ball of Ki smashed into him, and sent dozens of mini-explosion's rippling over his body. "That hurt Buu! Who do that?!"

"I did it, and it was supposed to hurt you idiot!" Ryo barked down at him. "What are you going to do about it!"

Ryo gulped when a nasty smile formed over Buu's mouth. Buu launched himself in the air after the boy, but to the monsters surprise his target disappeared before Buu could wrap his arms around him. Buu looked confused as he floated to the ground, churning his pudgy head knowing the boy had just been there a second ago. "Where you go?! You no play nice!"

"Who's playing!" Ryo growled, as he appeared behind Buu, shooting another Ki blast at his blubbery backside. Buu screamed in pain, but if anything Ryo only really succeeded in making the child-like creature angry. Ryo speed upward quickly trying to put some distance between him and the ground that Buu was standing on, when what felt like a taffy like substance grabbed a hold of his leg. It was Buu's hand, and Ryo let out a yelp as it pull him out of the sky and started to swing him around like an Olympic hammer. Half a dozen rotations later, Buu let go of Ryo's leg and watched him go flying. 

"That was some kick…" Shin groaned, as he struggled to his feet. The Kai barely had time for his eyes to widen before Ryo came crashing into him. They smashed back into the mountain Shin had already been kicked into, and slowly crumbled back to the ground after slumping out of the small impression Shin's back made into the rock, Shin stacking sideways on the top of Ryo's stomach. "Nice to see you and Vegeta made it Ryo…"

"It's great to be here," Ryo groaned, little stars circling around his head.

"Let's see how you handle this!" Vegeta roared, and planted his fist in the monsters gut. Buu appeared to wince slightly, but all Vegeta saw was a smile when Buu's eyes met his. The monster snickered, and Vegeta was alarmed to find his hand was stuck in the monsters grotesque belly. "What is this?… Let go of my hand you ugly blob!"

"Buu no ugly! You ugly!" Buu reached up his arm, and slapped Vegeta around at least a dozen times. Buu shoved Vegeta back, releasing Vegeta's hand in the process, and gave the Super Sayian a nice clean punch to the face. 

"Vegeta!" Gohan shouted, as he watched the Prince fly past him only to crash to the ground, and roll a few times stopping a few feet away from where Gohan had been kneeling. "Damn, he's slapping us away like we're flies or something!"

"Are you guys okay?" Videl asked as she ran up to Shin and Ryo. Piccolo stumbled into the picture from the other side a second later. She would've ran to Gohan earlier if it hadn't been for one little obstacle… The fat pink tub of lard doing his little dance, effectively blocking the path in between them. She was brave, but she wasn't stupid. After watching the others get bounced around like volleyballs, she wasn't about to get anywhere near that thing.

"I think we've been better…" Ryo grunted as he stood up. Shin was still down on his knees as he spoke up.

"It's just as I feared… Buu's as strong as he ever was… I don't mean to sound like a doomed animal, but things aren't looking well here my friends…"

"I wish I could do something to help…" Videl grimaced, with a clench of her fist. "But I'm practically useless here… All I can do is stand back and watch…"

"Speaking of which, that's not really such a good idea," Shin told her. "You're liable to get hurt, and not to mention there's a chance Buu may try to single you out if we ever mange to turn the tide of the battle. It may be best if you get yourself to safety."

"But I can't just leave! I mean I want to stay here but…" Videl paused, thinking over the logic of that statement. "Where the heck would I go anyway?!"

"Hold on a second!" Ryo said excitedly, his expression highlighted like a storm was raging inside of his head. "I think I might have an idea… You said you want to help don't you Videl? Because I think I might know a way you can."

"Yeah, I want to help, but what can I do?"

"I'll explain on the way, let's go!" Ryo was about to take off, when Piccolo touched him on the shoulder. 

"Hold on a moment Ryo. I think I know what you have in mind, so let me take her. You'd be more help here than I would be."

Ryo smiled and shook his head. "I doubt that, but it's got to be me to do this Piccolo. I know what you're thinking, but I might have something else in mind. I doubt it'll do us much good, but it's better than nothing. You guys just try to stay alive until then okay?"

Shin grimaced, as he watched Ryo fly off, Videl following closely behind him. "That's going to be a lot easier said than done…"

"I just hope he knows what he's doing…" Piccolo grunted.

"Huh, where is he going?" Gohan asked himself, but his question answered itself when he saw Videl with him. "Oh I see… Well, that's good, at least he's getting Videl to safety… Though I'm not sure how much longer any of us are going to be safe…"

"Damn that fat…" Vegeta grumbled, and wiped some blood off of his lip where Buu had punched him. "I refuse to acknowledge that blob of hog fat's strength! There's no way that thing can be this strong…"

"Well, I hate to admit it, but he's not going to be a pushover," Gohan groaned, and stared down a smiling prancing Majin Buu. "But I don't care how strong he is! One way or another, we have to find a way to take him down!"

End.

-Not much of a surprise here. I decided to leave Buu in the storyline, but I'm using him as more of an obstacle for the Z-gang before reaching the main objective. I almost chucked my entire outline for the next four chapters, but by doing that realized I'd be cutting some of the stories best plot twists that didn't quite pan out as well if I cut straight to the pirate ship. Thus, here's Buu! I haven't quite decided on exactly where Ryo's taking Videl just yet. I'm still stuck on two options one which is fairly obvious, and I'm sure most of you have probably thought about already. The other option is something I cooked up recently that I'm not sure I want to do now, because I'd be committing to certain rumors I'm not so sure I want to commit to yet if at all. You can only push your luck so far before you fall off the cliff. Until next time thanks for reading!

__

No preview this time since I still have a lot of holes I need to fill for the next chapter. Basically the Z-fighters getting knocked around by Buu, and the substantial side story focused mostly on Videl.


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

"So, what do we do now?" Gohan asked gruffly, hoping Vegeta might have an answer for him. The prince did, but it wasn't exactly what Gohan was hoping for.

"You tell me, you're the supposed genius," Vegeta snipped, never taking his eyes off of Buu. He wasn't sure what annoyed him more, the fact of how strong the pink blob appeared to be, or Buu's obvious lack of respect as he pranced around like a small child ignoring the small group of fighters who would be considered formidable to most any other being. "Well, I refuse to believe this bloated gastropod is unbeatable! I'll find a way to prove it, just watch me!"

"Vegeta stop!" Gohan yelled out to him as the Sayian Prince stubbornly flew out after Buu. The creature's lips curved upward sensing the warrior's approach, and prepared himself to crush Vegeta upon his arrival. However, the cagey Sayian came to a stop before reaching Buu, and flew back up into the air over Buu's head. 

"Why you run away?" Buu asked him.

"I'm not running away you fool! Allow me to demonstrate!" With a roar, Vegeta fired a series of small Ki blasts in the monsters direction.

"Oh…" Buu cooed like a fascinated kindergartner. He allowed the first several blasts to strike him in the body, before beginning to knock the rest of the blasts Vegeta was rapidly firing back at him. "You play catch?! Buu good at this!"

Vegeta fired off as many shots as he could before being forced to dodge out of the way of his own attack. He managed to weave his way between all but the final shot, which grazed his right shoulder. Vegeta grunted and grabbed the small grazing wound to his person, and grimaced down towards Buu. 

"Why you no hit back?" Buu pouted somewhat, then smirked evilly. "You try catch this then!"  


Buu expanded his cheeks, and shot a fast moving Ki burst from the depths of his… Well, from the depths of somewhere. With no time to move out of the way, Vegeta braced himself before getting knocked out of the sky by the surprising intensity behind the blast as it struck him. Vegeta crashed to the ground, and sat back up with a growl. "Damn that bloated…"

Gohan grimaced in Buu's direction. "I think this is going to take some work…"

********

"Ryo, slow down, and tell me where we're going already!" Videl screeched through the howling wind wiping against her face. It was all she could do just to keep up with Ryo, and she wasn't at all used to traveling at this sort of speed. The windburn marks slashed across her skin spelled that out perfectly. 

"Sorry to rush, but time is not on our side as you've already noticed," Ryo yelled back to her. "Don't worry we're almost there…"

"Almost where?!"  


Ryo smiled, and flew forward another few hundred feet or so before screeching to a halt. "Here."

Videl stopped, and looked around in confusion. "And just where is here?! It's just a lot of sky, there's noting around here to even speak of!"

"Well, yeah… In this dimension anyway…"

Videl glared at him as if to warn him if he was fooling around at a time like this then I'm going to rip your head off. "This dimension?! What the hell are you going on about now?!"  


"Calm down Videl, you just have to trust me," Ryo told her, understanding her frustration. He knew she was frustrated and angry with Buu and her inability to do anything about the situation, not at him. Until recently, feeling helpless wasn't something Videl had to deal with. "I want you to close your eyes, turn around, and count to ten okay?"

That glare grew even more intense. "Excuse me?! This isn't time for games Ryo!"

"I'm not playing games Videl. Just do it okay?"

"Fine! You better have a good reason for this Ryo!" Videl turned around, took a deep breath to calm herself, and began to count. "1, 2, 3..." Videl's head turned to the side, attempting to see just what Ryo was up to. She face faulted slightly when she saw Ryo staring back at her, his arms folded across his chest. 

"Turn around, and close your eyes Videl."

"Err… Fine!" Videl's head snapped back around, and her eyes lids snapped shut angrily. She heard a strange noise sounding a lot like something snapping in the wind, while she counted rather quickly. "12346810!"

  
Videl's head whipped around, and to her surprise Ryo was nowhere to be seen. Her head rotated all around her, and found no signs of Ryo. Not a hazy glimpse in the distance, or even a faint trail of Ki. She waited a good thirty seconds or so befuddled by what was going on, when a big black hole suddenly ripped into the sky. Now she was completely stunned as Ryo emerged from the darkness of the portal. "Hey there Videl. Hope I didn't keep you waiting too long."

Videl shook her head slowly. "No… Just a few seconds…"

"A few seconds really?" Ryo asked, appearing surprised. "Hmm, that's making good time considering I had to argue with her for nearly an hour. Oh well, come on inside Videl. It's kind of dark in here, but the view's nice."

"Umm… Okay…" Videl followed Ryo inside warily. The portal snapped shut behind her, leaving her and Ryo floating in some sort of strange 3-D world that looked like something out of a weird Sci-Fi flick. The landscape was oddly similar to the region where they'd found Majin Buu, except everything was black, and a complete starry night setting hung eerily close over head. In fact, if Videl didn't know any better she would've swore they were standing on some sort of rectangular platform set up in the middle of space. That's certainly what it looked like from her vantage point… "Where the heck are we?"

"A rift in the flow of time," Ryo told her. "Very few humans have ever crossed into this plain, so try to take it all in on this trip. You'll undoubtedly never see anything like this again."

"A rift in time…" Videl murmured, fearing her head might explode. There wasn't any doubt about it now, this should finally be by far the weirdest thing she'd have to experience on the longest day of her life. At least, that's what she thought… "Wait a second. If so few people have ever been here, then how the hell did you get admission?!"

"I called in a favor from someone," Ryo told her.

"A favor? Wait kind of favor?"

"Come to think of it, I don't know," Ryo admitted, putting his finger over his mouth. "Apparently it's something I do in the future. It must've been something pretty big, to be able to get her to agree to this."

"She? Who the heck is she?!"

"Sorry, but I can't say," Ryo replied. "Just be thankful we're getting this chance."  


"What exactly are we doing here anyway?" Videl asked, continuing with her barrage of questions, and she still had plenty of ammunition left to fire at him.

Ryo smiled and asked her. "You wanted to help fight off Buu didn't you?"

"Well yeah but… You, Gohan, and the others couldn't even scratch him, so what good could I possibly be?…"

"That's what we're here for," Ryo began to explain. "I'm not going to lie to you. Neither one of us will probably ever be strong enough to be anything more then a couple of fleas to a monster like Majin Buu, but despite how small and insignificant fleas might be they can sure give dogs and cats hell during the summer time. If we could do enough just to make ourselves a nuisance to Buu then that might be able to help Gohan and Vegeta.

"I guess that makes sense…" Videl said, but still had her doubts. "But how can I even be that? I hate admitting it, but I'm no where near the level you guys are on…"

"True you're not… Not yet anyway… That's why I brought you here. I'm going to train you on how to use your Ki to make yourself stronger."

"Train me?! Not that I'm against this, but it took me weeks just to learn how to fly! Buu might tare what's left of the planet to pieces before I have enough time to learn enough to do anything with?!"

"You didn't let me finish Videl," Ryo smirked. "That's why we're here… You see, we have a place like this at Dende's lookout on Earth. The flow of time is so drastically different in there that you can literally get a years worth of training in one day."

Videl's eyes went wide. "One day?! Then why didn't we go there instead?"

"Because I think this place is a tad bit better… You see, time doesn't pass at all in this place, it stands still. We can't age here, and we won't have any need to sleep, eat, or drink anything to keep ourselves alive. Not to mention that with the allotted amount of time we were given equals sixteen months rather then only twelve. Plus, when we leave we'll be able to return to Earth at almost the exact same time we entered the portal. Even though the Chamber of Spirit and Time could grant us a year of training in one day, I was afraid we wouldn't be able to afford wasting an entire day… By the time we got out, we might just be the only two people left on Earth. I don't know about you, but I don't want to be left alone with that thing… I don't care for the earth's chances if it comes to that. Besides, we might need to use the chamber in the future, and we can only spend the equivalent of two days inside. No point in wasting that time now when we don't have to."

Videl had only a partial clue as to what the heck Ryo had just said, but she understood just enough to get by. That included one important insight that would seem all to obvious to someone who wasn't aware of all the facts. "Okay… I think I got you, but why even bother with the chamber thingy when you can just come here if it's so much better…"

"Like I told you before Videl, we're not supposed to be here," Ryo reiterated. "This is a once in an eternity opportunity Videl. I had to pull some serious strings to get in here, and it wasn't easy."

Videl nodded her head, and paused thinking over everything this might mean. She had to admit the thought of increasing her strength was appealing even if she didn't fully understand how exactly this was all had come about… Feeling a tad bit more confident now, Videl smiled and placed her fists on her hips. "Well… I guess I'm game for this… But the way I look at it is that not only is sixteen months should be plenty of time to train, but it should also be plenty of time for you to explain to me just what the hell you've been up to, including who you know that knows how to manipulated time!"

Ryo smiled nervously, and rubbed the back of his head. "Well, I might tell you what I can… But first thing's first. I assume since Gohan taught you how to fly, you know at least a little about Ki am I right?"

"Yeah, I know that it's a technical term for life energy, and we use it to propel our bodies in the air… He also showed me how to focus it and stuff…"

"Good, then I can skip the general explanation, and continue from there… Well, are you ready to start Videl, or do you need time to think things over?…"

With a grunt Videl smirked, and flipped her pig tails over back of her shoulders. "Like I have a choice, considering you've already drug me out here… Besides, I can handle anything you can dish out!"

"We'll see about that," Ryo grinned. "Still, we'll start things off slow."

Ryo reached out, and gave Videl a gentle pop in the mouth with his fist. Videl frowned at him, annoyance ringing out in her voice. "What the heck was that for?!"

Ryo grinned at her. "Tag, your it."

"Tag?! Are you crazy?! This isn't time for games!"

"It's not a game Videl, it's a training exercise. All you have to do is hit me."

"Hit you?" Videl asked in surprise. Ryo just grinned, and nodded his head. Videl gave a smile of her own, and clenched her fists. "Okay, you asked for it!"

Videl aimed for Ryo's face and threw a little jab not wanting to hurt him too much. Something similar to what he did to her. She could've swore she'd locked dead on to his chin, but to her surprise connected with nothing but air. She pulled back, and tried again but once again failed to make contact with anything solid. She couldn't understand it… Ryo's head was right there wearing the same stupid smile, and she didn't see his head move or anything. Videl tried a third time, and once again punched air without causing Ryo to so much as flinch. Videl frowned growing annoyed, and decided the hell with being gentle. She threw a big right hook at him, and yet again her fist seemingly past right through him. Videl growled, and started firing punch after punch at him and a good minute or so later still hadn't so much as grazed his cheek. At least she knew he was indeed moving now, as she watched his head bob left and right. He was simply to fast for her to see on occasion. 

"Will you stop moving around?!" Videl growled, trying every deception and combination she could think of to land a blow. Nothing seemed to work. "How do you expect me to hit you if you don't stand still?!"

"I never said I was going to let you hit me Videl, you have to earn it," Ryo informed her. "That's the exercise. We're not stopping until you're fast enough to actually land a blow. We're going to do this until you do!"

"You better believe I'm going to get you!" Videl pumped her arms and growled. "And I'm going to knock your head off when I do!"

"That's the spirit Videl," Ryo laughed, using very little effort to avoid her fists and occasional leg. "It may take you a few weeks, but you'll get the hang of it!"

"Weeks?!"  


********

"Stop laughing you fat pompous tub of guts!" Vegeta snarled, literally pounding Buu as ferociously as he possibly could. It didn't matter what he threw at the him, Buu would simply mold back into shape like silly putty just in time to laugh and make some stupid face towards his playmates. While all the Z-senshi found this highly annoying, it particularly enraged Vegeta. An elite Sayian warrior of his caliber should not be subjected to this ridiculous foolishness. It was so degrading… "This isn't a game!"

"Buu like games," Buu giggled, and grabbed Vegeta by his arm. Buu delivered a massive uppercut sending the Sayian prince soaring into the air. It didn't take long for Vegeta to take control of his body, stopping himself high in the air and glared down at Buu. Well, at least he had expected to see Buu. His eyes scanned the area, but Buu was nowhere in sight… That's when he felt a powerful presence at his back, and he knew for sure where Buu had been hiding. The monster made himself known by clubbing Vegeta in the back of the head, sending him crashing face first into the ground. As he picked his face out of the dirt Vegeta heard the sickening sound of Buu screaming out it's own name as he came plummeting downwards looming over Vegeta. The Sayian's face recoiled in pain as the bloated tub of guts butt crashed down onto his back. As if simply to show him up, Buu used him for an easy chair posing with his arms crossed across his chest as he sat there. 

"Get off of me…" 

"Hum, he, hum…"

"Any ideas Kai?" Gohan asked through gritted teeth. He looked over at Piccolo who was practically staggering on his knees, knocked silly from an earlier attack from Buu.

"I don't see much else we can do," Shin said solemnly. "All we can try is to attack him with everything we have, and hopefully find a weakness in him somewhere… Though I'm unsure he has any we have to at least try…"

Gohan grunted, and scanned Buu over as he finally sat up off of Vegeta's back. "Well, how about this. I'll attack him from the front and try to grab his attention while you attack him from behind. Going at him one on one obviously isn't doing anything, so maybe if we gang up on him…"

Shin didn't look any less hopeless, but nodded his head none the less. "Not like we have many other options now do we?"

Buu frowned down at Vegeta as he sat up off of him. "What wrong? You dead already?"

"No, he's just taking a break!" Gohan boomed right before ramming his body into Buu. The pink blob made an odd noise as he stumbled backwards, and rolled a couple of times before bouncing back up to his feet and giggling. Gohan growled, and charged after Buu. Keeping true to his normal pattern, Buu stood practically still and allowed Gohan to pummel him. No point in the monster wasting his energy trying to dodge when nothing Gohan could throw at him could harm him, Gohan assumed anyway. Gohan felt Shin approaching Buu from his back, and increased the intensity of his assault hoping to occupy Buu's attention. Unfortunately, Buu felt Shin coming too, and all of a sudden Gohan wasn't even remotely interesting him. 

"Ewe… You go away now okay?" Buu swatted Gohan away like he was a gnat, with nothing more then a simple backhand to the face. Gohan went flying backwards, and found his body turned upside down before his back went crashing into one of the many small mountains surrounding the area.

Shin saw Buu knock Gohan away, and in a panic tried to halt his forward momentum. Shin turned tail, and tried to fly away but Buu had other ideas. Pulling a piece of blubber from his seemingly endless supply of fat, Buu used it as a lasso effectively roping Shin around the neck with it. Shin's eyes went wide, as he felt himself get yanked to the ground. As he tried in vain to struggle free, Buu waggled his way over to Shin. The Kai braced himself for the worst, and got that just… Only it wasn't the type of horror he had first expected, but terrible none the less. Buu snickered his sickening laugh, and promptly stuck his fat butt right into the Kai's face. Buu wiggled his bum around a bit, before finally sitting back up leaving Shin gasping got breath. Buu giggled in amusement as Shin chocked from his knees, now free of Buu's rope of fat.

"That… That was brutal…" Shin grunted before Buu's knee crashed into the back of his head. Shin groaned, and rolled over on his back only to find Buu standing over him the same sickening smile plastered over its fat face. Like a flash, Buu's hand was out in front of the Kai's face smacking him around repeatedly until his face was red and raw. Just as Buu stopped, leaving Shin an all to brief reprieve before Buu grabbed hold of his leg, flipped Shin over his head, and slammed the Kai's small framed body into the ground. Buu let go of Shin, and snickered as he stood over him.

"Hum, hum… Buu make you dead now okay?"

Shin grumbled, barely able to turn his face out of the dirt. "This is most distressing…"

********

"Come on Videl, you gotta move quicker than this!" Ryo barked. It was just one out of the many times he'd criticized or jumped all over her from something she wasn't doing correctly or he felt she could do better. Of course, being a Satan, who wasn't normally used to being physically weaker than anyone, she wasn't taking Ryo's rough style of training very well. At least the verbal and critical end of the spectrum that was.

"I'm going as fast as I can! What the hell do you want from me?!" Videl flared, firing every sort of combination she could think of at any body part she could make out for even second. Still, each attempt didn't even come close to landing, and those few openings she thought she saw never stayed visible long enough for her to even blink. She wondered if Ryo was just throwing one in the mix every once in a while just to tease her. 

"Quickness and speed are two different things entirely," Ryo told her, while she continued her assault. "You can throw your first at me at the speed of light as many times as you want, but if you keep throwing your punches as sloppy as you are now without any variation in your attack patterns you're never going to manage to strike me! Look, pounding your opponent like a boxer might work well on some common street thug who can't read, but when you get up into the ranks that people like myself, Gohan, and Piccolo, then that sort of fighting style just isn't going to cut it! You need to fill some technique in with all that brute force!"

"Well, I'm sorry, but that just wasn't the way I was trained okay!" Videl growled, still trying desperately to strike him. Just a little brush across the side of his cheek would've been like winning the Super Bowl for her right about now. 

"I know, and that's why I'm trying to teach you this way right now!" Videl wound up hard, determined to nail him with one good whack, giving it everything she had. She'd done this so many times over the past several months, and just like every time before she didn't even come close to landing it. Ryo sighed, and moved out of the way letting Videl sprawl forward just a bit. Ryo stuck his elbow out nonchalantly and jabbed it into the back Videl's head sending her crashing to the ground. Ryo put his hands on his hips, and shook his head. "You'd think you'd know better by now. You're never going to land a punch like that because I can see your arm pull back before you even swing!"

"So, maybe I'm not cut out for this, so what?!" Videl grumbled angrily, clearly frustrated with her apparent lake of progress. "I'm just wasting both our time… Damn it, it's been what?! Four months, and I still haven't been able to lay a finger on you! We're not getting anywhere!"

"I told you it was going to take a while… I know you don't see it, but you're making progress… It's getting harder to dodge your attacks everyday… Hey, in few weeks when your finally able to make solid contact, maybe we can even try it with me at half power…"

Videl face faulted, a bleak expression pouring out of her blue eyes. Something that sounded like a wounded whimper escaped her mouth before she dropped to her knees. "You're not even at half power?! Well, you seemed full throttle to me… Ah, just forget it I give up!"

"Hey, don't talk like that Videl! I didn't even expect to have to go that high while we were here… Besides, since when are you quitter? You want to help Gohan don't you?"

"Of course I'd like to, if there was anything I could do!… And I'm not a quitter, I'm simply a realist… You think I like feeling helpless?! Hell no, it's not exactly a feeling I'm used to! I was the second strongest person in the world until you and Gohan came along… Now I just have to settle for being the worlds strongest weakling!"

Ryo's eyes kind of rolled at that comment. "Well if you insist on putting it that way then technically you were the strongest person in the world…"

Videl's eyes twitched in confusion. "Excuse me?"

Ryo smiled at her ignorance. She really had no idea what her father was all about. "Well considering you're twice as strong as your father is, that would've made you the strongest person in the world before you met us now wouldn't it?"

"What?! You're crazy! I can accept the fact that dad isn't the strongest guy on Earth, and that he didn't really defeat Cell and all but you can't expect me to believe I was ever stronger than my father…" Videl paused momentarily, recalling that stranger things had been brought to her attention recently. "Was I?…"

Ryo nodded his head. "Think about it. Why do you think Hercule kept his training methods so hush, hush, or lack their of anyway. Not to mention why he's been completely unwilling to train with you for the past couple of years. His ego's just too big to have to suffer the brunt of losing to his baby girl."

"But that's insane! I've never been stronger than my father!"

"I have another question for you Videl. When exactly did your father stop training you? Just to feed my curiosity if anything…"

Videl's face softened up a bit, surprised by the question. She had to think back along way to come up with an answer. "Well, it's been a while but… I was fourteen I think… Man, that was almost four years ago…"

"And do you remember why your father stopped training you?"

"He didn't give a reason really… I just figured he didn't have time for me anymore with all of his personal appearances, and commitments to his martial arts school and stuff. All he told me was that there was nothing left for him to teach me, and we never have so much as done a stretching exercise together since…"

"Really…" Ryo seemed unconvinced. "And what do you think led your father to believe he didn't have anything else to teach you?"

"I don't know!" Videl huffed, clearly annoyed with Ryo's line of questioning. "All I remember is that he let me beat him a couple of times and… And… Hold on a second… Um, he did let me win didn't he? I'm sure of it… At least I was…"

"I'll give your father credit for one thing, he's a really smooth talker who can pull the wool over the eyes of just about everyone who doesn't know the truth. I'll tell you, old Hercule could tell you to go to hell and make you look forward to the trip. When he told you he had nothing else to teach you he was right… Because you can't learn much from someone you've surpassed… Except someone like Piccolo that is."

"Look, even if it was true, it doesn't mean much anyway! I'm still not on the same level as the rest of you! When it comes to a monster like Buu I'm completely worthless…"

"You're only worthless if you choose to stay that way Videl!" Ryo growled, growing impatient with Videl's continually negative attitude. He'd be damned if he was going to spend the equivalent to a year of his life in this place only for Videl to suddenly up and quite 1/3 of the way through. "I used to be worthless to you know… I was the quiet dork remember? You even laughed at me when I told you I knew martial arts. Hell, I sounded just like you until Piccolo showed me I had the ability to make something of myself! You have that ability too Videl, and not many people do have it so you'd be foolish to waste it! I was reluctant too when I started training under Piccolo, and I lost count of how many times I told myself I couldn't do this, or when I got so frustrated with myself that I nearly quit! But I hung on, and I stuck with it… Every time I thought about giving up I thought about everyone who ever laughed at me, told me I can't do this or you can't do that! Despite how much I hated hearing those jeers, there I was saying it to myself… I thought about all the times I had to watch somebody stand up for me because I couldn't defend myself! I know you come from a different background, and you were raised in a different world but you have your own reasons to keep fighting. Think about your father who died protecting you. Think about Gohan who's still down on Earth fighting for his life right now! Think about yourself for Kami's sake! Since when are you a quitter anyway?! Are you going to be happy with yourself if you quit now?!"

"Well I uh…" Videl's head veered off to the side, clearly not wanting to make eye contact with him. Ryo could tell he was getting through, but wasn't sure if he was there quite yet… If motivation wasn't winning out on her, then maybe a little reverse psychology would. He didn't really want to go where he was about to go, but if he knew Videl this would set her off like a tea kettle ready to boil over.

"Fine then… If that's the way you want to be then quit. I guess I shouldn't have expected so much from a little girl trying to pretend she can keep up in a man's world. Maybe you're right. Maybe we should just quit and head back to Earth, and you can hide up on the lookout with Dende and the kids."

"Hey, I'm trying my best here!" Videl's head shot up with a growl. "How dare you anyway! It's not like your corny training methods have done any good anyway! All you've had me do so far is dodge rocks, blow energy bubbles with my hands, and play this stupid game of tag from hell! Yeah, your damn right I'm a girl, and I can do anything you can do just as well as you can!"

"Yeah right," Ryo laughed. "You can't even land a punch on me, and you want me to buy that?"

"I'll show you what I can do!" Videl growled, with a modest flare of her Ki. Ryo got exactly what he wanted when Videl launched herself at him, and literally tried to take his head off. Ryo got a tad more then what he expected to receive, however, when several seconds after getting Videl back in a competitive spirit, Videl's leg swung upward and grazed the tip of Ryo's chin. Shocked by the feel of solid contact, Videl immediately froze after following through with the kick, and stared Ryo straight in the face as he touched his chin looking equally surprised. Finally, a smile formed over his lips. The blow felt about like a gnat smacking him in the face, but at least she was finally able to get a lick in on him.

"Now we're getting somewhere! You see, I told you, you were doing better then you thought."

With her knees giving out on her, Videl kneeled to the ground laughing. "I finally… I finally did something right… Please tell me you didn't let me hit you…"

"Nope, that would kind of defeat the purpose Videl."

Videl smiled, feeling a small douse of her confidence returning to her. It never really left in the first place, it simply took a nap while things look their bleakest from Videl's point of view. "Hey Ryo… You didn't really mean what you said back there did you?"

"Don't be ridiculous Videl! With the experiences I've had with women I can't help but have a grudging respect for them… I was just trying to get you motivated, and hey it worked."

Videl stood up, and punched him in the hip. "You still shouldn't have said it! I'm sorry what I said about the training too… I'm just getting frustrated that I can't seem to make any of this stuff work…"

"Like I said, if you don't like it talk to Piccolo not me… Besides, what makes you think it's not working?"

"Well, I don't feel like I'm improving any so…" Videl grumbled.

"Hmm… I see, well trust me you have been. Allow me to demonstrate." 

Ryo took to the air, and floated back about ten feet before setting back down to the ground. He then held his arm out towards Videl, opened the palm of his hand, and fired about a dozen small but lightning fast Ki blasts in her direction. Videl's eyes went wide before she was forced to quickly maneuver out of the way of all the energy blasts that were speeding towards her from what seemed like every angle. She watched the twelfth and final shot whiz past her face, then shot Ryo an evil glare. "What the hell did you do that for?! Are you trying to blow my head off or something?!"

"Hey, don't get so uptight!" Ryo laughed. "You got out of the way didn't you?"

"Yeah, because I'm sure you missed on purpose! Or held back at least!" Videl snorted, frowning at first. Her face softened as Ryo shook his head no. "You didn't?…"

"Nope. It's true those blasts wouldn't have done much more than tickle you, but I was aiming right for you. You're reflexes simply have grown sharp enough to get out of the way."

Videl looked down at her hands, then down at her legs and knees while thinking. _Have I really improved?…_

"If that still doesn't convince you, there's one more thing I'd like you to try," Ryo said, grabbing Videl's attention. "Let's see if you can find me when you can't see me, just by sensing my Ki that is."

"And how am I supposed to do that?" Videl frowned. She still couldn't understand how anybody was able to track somebody down just by their energy patterns. This entire Ki thing in general still sailed straight over her head. "You want me to close my eyes or something?"

"No, there's no need for that." With a smirk and a flash of purple, Ryo disappeared from Videl's range of vision. Her eyes widened, remembering Ryo pulling this trick during his fight with that ninja guy from the Ray Lien. "Hey, that's not fair Ryo! Isn't that trick a little advanced for me?!"

Videl waited a moment or two, and naturally got no response from her trainer. Videl frowned, and closed her eyes in an attempt to do what she thought was the impossible. "I don't see the point in this, but since I don't have much other choice…"

For the next ten minutes Videl concentrated hard, trying to find that seemingly mythical flow of power she'd heard Ryo and Gohan speak so much of. Videl's teeth gritted in frustration, feeling not so much as a gust of wind at the back of her neck. "This is so stupid! There's no way to find somebody by their energy! You either see them or you don't!… What wait…"

Videl's head snapped around when she felt a ping of something to her left. Could it possibly?… Videl knelt down, and picked up a small pebble from the ground. Playing off her hunch, she hurled the pebble in that direction. The pebble suddenly stopped in mid-flight as an odd rift that looked like an arm ripped through the air, and sure enough Ryo made himself visible a moment later.

"Your aim was a little off, but not bad Videl," Ryo said with smile. "You still think Ki detection is load of bull-crap as you so delightfully put it Videl?"

"Yeah, kind of," Videl answered honestly.

Ryo looked annoyed. "Huh? Why? You picked up on me didn't you?"

"Well… Not exactly," Videl blushed, and pointed towards the ground. "The ground here is getting kind of soft…"

"What does that have to do with?…" Ryo looked down, and his eyes widened at the sight of a short trial of footprints leading to the spot where he was standing. Ryo promptly fell on his face, and quickly pulled himself up. "So that's how you found me… You didn't feel a thing then?…"

"Well, I thought I felt something… But it could've been gas."

"Well, let's not worry about that right now… One thing at a time you know… So you finally hit me right?"

"Right," Videl grinned contently.

"Then I guess that means I'm it," Ryo announced, stretching out his arms and legs.

Videl's eyes went wide. "Excuse me? Yah!"

Ryo came after her abruptly, forcing Videl to go on the defensive. She managed to barley move out of the way of his first couple of shots, but he landed the third with his foot planting it into her chest. Videl yelped, and rolled backward several times before flopping to a stop down on her face. 

"Tag you're it…"

Videl pushed herself upward, and growled towards Ryo. It took her three months... All that time just to graze him in the chin. It took five seconds. "I could really learn to hate you!"

End.

Not much in this chapter, but a bunch of good is set for the next several chapters. I know this story is coming along slowly, but I've been bouncing off a lot of walls trying to finish it up… And they don't have any give to them. It's frustrating me too, but I don't want to rush and put out an absolute piece of crap. Hopefully this will be finished by Christmas, but that's just the best case scenario. Thanks for being patient, hopefully I'll make it worth everyone's while most importantly mine.


	24. Chapter 24

-Note: At this point and time, I have no intentions to use the fusion technique in anyway. The only reason I even mentioned it in this chapter was because I thought it made for a good conversation piece, plus it leaves the option open to use it if I change my mind. Right now, I have something else in mind for this story, which seems a bit more original. Just thought I'd clear that up before I gave anybody the wrong idea.

Chapter 24

"Come on, I can do this…" Videl told herself, feeling the energy surging through her body, manifested in its physical form of a small ball forming in her hands. For the majority of her extended trip to this plain of existence this exercise had been a fifty/fifty proposition for her. Half the time she'd get the blast off cleanly and at a decent volume to boot, but the other half of her attempts she'd over exert her Ki and the ball would blow up in her face. For the past several weeks or so, however, she slowly improved until eventually she was getting 9 out of every 10 off cleanly. The tenth was still giving her trouble however… She'd gotten off nine straight on this occasion, and this would mark the first time she'd get off ten. Of course there was the matter of that very obvious reason she could never quite get the tenth right, but that wasn't a reasonable excuse as far as Videl was concerned. More times then not, she'd be forced to get these blasts off under pressure. Just as she felt she was ready, she once again felt that pressure coming in the form a large purple Ki blast. With a growl, Videl quickly turned to that side, and watched as the ball of energy left her hands. It connected cleanly with the on coming blast, and they exploded on contact. Videl smiled in satisfaction, and wiped the sweat of her brow before sitting down for a breather. 

Ryo emerged from the shadows, and stood over his exhausted understudy. "Well, looks like you've finally got the hang of it... And most everything else for that matter…"

"My entire body hurts," Videl grunted with a weak smile. "You're a damn slave driver you know…"

"You think I'm bad, you should've trained with Piccolo. At least I didn't throw you into a cave of hungry wolves."

"Wolves?!" Videl cringed at the thought. "What kind of training is that?! How bad were the injuries?.."

"Not too awful bad… A couple of the wolves were a little beat up, but I tried to take it easy on them…"

Videl chuckled slightly, thinking that was just another example of Ryo's odd brand of humor. That was she thought that way until he gave her an odd somewhat serious look. "What? You mean you weren't kidding?!"

Ryo shook his head. "Oh, I see you thought I was… Oh no, I was a little more advanced before Piccolo put me through that… You know if you want I'm sure we can find a cave somewhere and…"

"Don't even think about it!" Videl huffed, as she looked up into the starry night setting. The exact same setting she'd been looking at for roughly a little over a years worth of time by now, so the overlay just didn't quite hold the same magic it had before… It just seemed so fake, and unnatural now. Videl let out a sigh, and Ryo could tell there was a little more to the story other than Videl simply being fatigued. 

"You okay?… Oh, I get it… You thinking about Gohan again?"

Videl blushed, but she didn't bother to try and hide the fact. "Yeah a little… Okay a lot… I really miss him… It just seems like an eternity since the last time I saw him…"

"Technically it's been close to sixteen months," Ryo informed her. "But that's a good sign though. You've been apart from him for so long, yet you still feel the same way."

Her cheeks remained pink, though a small grin caught her lips. "I do… But the funny thing is, it hasn't felt nearly that long… It's felt like a long time I mean, but not nearly half as long as it has been…"

"Funny how time flies when it's standing still huh?" Ryo snickered. "It's just one of the oddities about his place you know?"

"Yeah, this place is unreal… I mean I never feel tired, I'm never hungry, and no matter how much energy I expend it's almost like I have this endless well of energy to tap into whenever I need it…" Videl frowned as her mind started to focus on the more negative side of the spectrum. "Of course it would be nice if I didn't feel pain, or get bored out of mind from the same routine day in day out… Speaking of which, is it day or night here right now because I have no clue."

"Both, and neither at the same time. Like I said, time doesn't move here. Speaking of the same old routine, I bet your sick of seeing my face day after day by now huh?"

Videl scrounged her nose as if she had to think about that, drawing a dirty look from her friend. "No, not really… Expect for when you get on me about the training you can get kind of annoying. Videl, you're not doing this right, your not concentrating hard enough, calm down and focus! Sometimes I'd just like to reach up and smack you if I could!"

"That just means I'm doing a good job I guess," Ryo grinned. "You know, we only have another day or two before we have to leave this place. Then you get to see Gohan again… And hopefully we can get past Buu, and use the Dragon Balls to make everything normal again… Then we could wish your father back."

"Yeah… If it's all the same to you Ryo, I'd rather not talk about that right now…" Videl said softly. "It doesn't bother me so much when I don't think about it…"

"I'm sorry, I'll leave it at that then." Ryo sensed Videl was growing uneasy, and perhaps maybe even a little lonely. Not for lack of better company, just somebody in particular she'd understandably wish could be around. So abiding by her wish, Ryo decided to change the subject and hopefully lighten the mood. He smiled, and looked over at Videl who turned her head towards him sort of instinctively. "Remember that time Sharpner wanted a drink, and got his head stuck in the toilet?"

Videl's eyes went wide, before starting to snicker at Ryo's sudden outburst. "What?! What in the world brought that on?"

"Nothing really… Just trying to lighten the mood I guess…" Ryo looked up towards the sky, as they both started to laugh.

********

"You go bye-bye now!" Buu snickered, ready to flatten Shin into a pancake. He would have that was, if some fool hadn't of thrown his arms around his neck. Annoyed at first then amused, Buu snickered as Gohan squeezed at his neck apparently trying to see if he could manage to squeeze the air out of Buu's lungs or something… Did Buu even have lungs? Whatever Gohan might've been trying to do it obviously wasn't working very well, for all Buu had to do was swing his neck around a few times until Gohan was sent flying off of him. Vegeta swarmed in next, hoping to catch Buu off guard. He succeeded, but the monster didn't seem to care at all. Instead of letting Vegeta's fist connect this time, Buu caught it instead and smirked straight into the face of an enraged Vegeta. Able to care less about Vegeta's mood, Buu promptly kicked him dead in the mid-section sending the Sayian Prince hurdling to the ground. Buu applauded himself as he looked around seeing all four of his playmates prone on the ground after being broken and pummeled almost effortlessly by him. A bit of a disappointed frown found his lips once he realized none of them were getting back up. "What? You done already… These toys break too easy. Buu get rid of you, and find better toys to play with!"

"Is the damn buffoon mocking us, or does he really think he's playing a game with us?!" Vegeta snarled as he struggled up into a sitting position.

"Hey, the games not over yet Buu," Gohan grunted, as he stood up to his feet, wiping his mouth clean of trickle of blood that had formed down his chin. "I'm still in one piece."

"Hum, hum… Not for long…" Buu grinned, almost daring Gohan to come at him. So that's exactly what the half-Sayian did. Gohan's fists came raining in on Buu one after another, and not a one of them even appeared to make Buu flinch. Buu allowed Gohan to pound away at his own leisure, burning off much of his energy until Buu got bored with him. Buu snickered and grabbed Gohan by the wrist, surprising the young Super Sayian with the speed of his hands. With a single solid whack, Gohan's body was sent soaring into the air. Gohan couldn't quite gain control of his momentum, and braced himself to crash into the ground… But he never got there. He felt his body halt it's decent towards the ground in mid-air, and found himself cradled in a surprisingly strong yet delicate set of arms. He looked up and blushed finding his eyes staring into the beautiful an all too welcome face of Videl. How he wound up there, he wasn't quite sure just yet.

"Hey Gohan, nice of you to drop in."

"Videl?…" Gohan stared at her a moment before realizing the slightly embarrassing predicament he was in. He blushed slightly, and hopped out of Videl's arms, hovering in the air next to her. "Umm… Nice catch… Thanks…"

"Why do you look so surprised Gohan?" Videl asked smugly. "Aren't you glad to see me?"

"Always…" Gohan smiled, still looking slightly stunned. "It's just that you feel so much stronger than you did before… And that was just a couple of hours ago… Amazing…"

A stupid grin spread over her face, along with a faint blush. "I was wondering if you'd notice that… I barely could myself…"

"Well there's a big difference Videl… Trust me!"

Ryo, who'd been watching from a few feet behind them, sweat dropped and smirked slightly. "Figures… Most girls worry about their hair, or what they're wearing when they see a guy's watching… Videl's only concern is showing off how bad she can kick somebody's butt…"

"Videl are you okay?…" Gohan asked her. "You're practically shaking… Is something wrong?"

"I know this might sound a little strange to you," Videl stammered, finding it difficult to restrain herself. "But I missed you so much!"

Videl lunged, and buried herself into Gohan's arms startling the already confused Super Sayian. Clamping her arms around his waist tightly, Gohan happily return the embrace though he didn't completely understand why Videl was so happy to see him. She'd only been gone a couple hours… Hadn't she? "It's not that I'm not enjoying this, but it probably isn't the best time." Gohan stared daggers down at Buu, who was busy exchanging punches with Vegeta. "We need to be worrying about him…"

"Humph… He doesn't look as tough as he did before…" Videl huffed, and flew out a few feet to get a better look at him. "Not that that means a whole lot…"

With Videl temporally distracted, Gohan turned his attention to Ryo who had recently floated over next to him. "You trained her didn't you?… Well that's a stupid question, of course you did but… Did you have to let her catch me?"

"Would you rather have hit the ground?" Ryo snickered.

"No, but you could have caught me instead… It's kind of embarrassing to be seen being held up by your girlfriend you know?"

"Oh, grow up Gohan."

"This is an interesting development," Shin said, looking up and to his left. 

"What's so interesting about it?!" Piccolo growled, staring straight at Majin Buu, unaware that the Kai's attention had wandered. All his eyes saw was a fat bloated pink blob grabbing at his feet and tumbling around like a seal on a beach ball.

"Not him, up there." Shin pointed his head towards Gohan who had now been joined by Ryo and Videl.

Vegeta look up along with them and grunted. "It's about time the damn boy showed up!… Wait a second… The girl?… It's not possible!"

Piccolo looked slightly baffled by Vegeta's reaction. "I'll admit the increase in her power is impressive Vegeta, but I don't believe she warrants that type of reaction! She's certainly not up to par enough to stand up to the likes of Majin Buu!"

"I know that Namek!" Vegeta huffed in irritation directed more towards Buu. "It's just that… A woman, with that type of power! It's absurd! Unheard of…"

Shin smirked and whispered to Piccolo. "If Videl bothers him that much, then he'd hate to meet the Amazonian tribes of Religa in South Quadrant."

"I appreciate the cultural lesson, but this probably isn't the best time of it sir," Piccolo grumbled, looking back over at Buu. "We need to focus our attention on stopping that!"

"You know, from this angle it's hard to believe this guy is a threat to the entire universe," Videl muffed, finding it a tad embarrassing they even had to fight this thing. 

"Well, I believe it," Gohan grunted, remembering all the bumps and bruises covering his body courtesy of Buu.

"Well, I'm not afraid anymore! I'm going to rearrange that fat blob's face!" Videl growled, and jetted down towards Buu much to the dismay of her two friends.

"I see you didn't teach her any patience," Gohan observed. 

Ryo frowned, and grunted. "Why don't you just ask me to grow a third arm?!"

"That girl's insane!" Piccolo yelped as he watched Videl race towards Buu, followed quickly by Gohan and Ryo.

"We better hurry over there," Shin suggested.

"Well, I don't see why I should risk my neck because some stupid woman suddenly thinks she's…" Vegeta didn't have time to finish his complaint, at least to non-deaf ears that was, as Shin and Piccolo were already rushing towards Buu. Vegeta had half a mind to stay where he was and let the stupid fools deal with their own fate. He considered that for all of about two seconds that was, before growling, and taking off after the rest of the group. "You're all a bunch of idiots I tell you!"

"Ba ba, la la… Oh…" Buu cooed as he caught a glimpse of a new face headed his way. 

__

Here goes nothing I guess… Videl thought to herself as she closed in on Buu. It was time to see just how much she'd learned. "I'll give you something to gape about you fat tub of guts!"

Videl rolled over, and greeted Buu with the bottom of her foot into his face. Buu's face caved in slightly, staggering backward a few feet. Maybe it was the adrenaline heating her blood, but she got a little carried away and attacked Buu repeatedly leaving impressions of her fist covering Buu's body. Videl hesitated momentarily, unable to believe what her fist and feet had just done. Sadly however, when something seems too good to be true that usually means it is. Buu used the momentary hesitation on Videl's part to inflate himself back into shape, and snickered gleefully. Videl's face recoiled, suddenly finding herself wanting to be anywhere but there. She tried to fly away in the other direction, but that plan was foiled immediately when Buu grabbed her by the leg and held her there practically teasing her. Videl struggled to kick herself free of him, but Buu would have none of it. He pulled her back towards him like she was the rubber ball and he was the paddle, and adding visual effect gave Videl an almost playful, playful for Buu anyway, whack to the back sending her flying. Screeching as she flew, Videl slammed hard into one of the various rock facades surrounding the landscape, reducing a good chunk of it into rubble as it collapsed on top of her.

"Videl!" Gohan shrieked and flew after her. Before he could go in and dig her out of the mess of stone, Videl had already picked herself up out of it. She stood up coughing, and patted herself down looking quite surprised. "Wow, I'm in one piece… I thought that would hurt a little more than it did…"

After spouting a sigh of relief, Gohan smiled and shook his head. "You mean that didn't hurt you at all?"  


"I wouldn't go that far," Videl stammered, and stumbled forward.

"Ah, you again?" Buu whined, as he stared up at Ryo who was floating a few feet above him. "Buu beat you up already."

"Yeah, and don't think I've forgotten that! And I know you haven't forgotten this…" Ryo smirked, and formed a small flickering ball of purple energy in his hand. "As I recall you didn't care for the way this felt all that much."

Buu frowned, for once showing those disgusting black dots of his that he called eyes. "You no hurt Buu!"

"Maybe not, but they might…" 

"Huh?" Feeling something coming up from behind, Buu's head turned only to have his face smashed into by Vegeta's fist. With a few impassioned growls, Vegeta continued to lay his fists into Buu knocking him backwards. Just as soon as Buu had the chance to shift his focus to Vegeta, he suddenly found himself being ambushed from both sides. Piccolo from one, and Shin from the other. While their attacks might not have packed the same punch as Vegeta's, the combined strength of the two was enough to make Buu feel it. A few more blows rained down on him, and finally Buu went crashing down to his back, then rolling back over on his butt. He sat there a moment looking a mixture of irritated and surprised. He bounced back to his feet, but this time he didn't chuckle or perform a little celebration dance. He looked down right annoyed, but that butt-ugly grin soon returned to him. Piccolo and Shin both watched in horror as Buu tore yet another mound of flab from the blimp he called a stomach. He immediately flung it outward, slapping the Kai across the face with it, before wrapping itself around Piccolo like a lasso. Piccolo grunted as he tried to break free, but the pressure of the jello like substance felt like a ring of solid rock clamped around him denying him the use of his arms.

"Hey, what the hell is this?! Let me go!"

Buu denied Piccolo's request, and yanked him to the ground. Shin just looked down at him with his mouth agape, and before the Kai could act Buu had already beat him to it. Shin doubled over as Buu's knee suddenly came crashing into this gut, and with little wasted motion, Buu smashed his fist right underneath the Kai's chin sending him away screaming. 

Refusing to just sit back and watch anymore, Vegeta charged forward locking his fist right onto Buu's bloated stomach. How could he miss the damn thing right? At least that's what Vegeta thought. Just as he was lunging forward, Buu's stomach suddenly sloshed to the side like it was suddenly made of water, leaving Vegeta connecting with nothing but air. Before the Sayian Prince could fully analyze what had just happened Buu's leg had already spun forward and smashed into the center of his back. Vegeta was sent surging forward, speeding like a dart toward yet another mountain, shielding his face with his arms before he went crashing head first into the rock. At least one good thing would come out of this, eventually they'd run out of mountains to be thrown into. Of all the places in the world the fat freak had to appear in, it just had to be a place like this.

While Buu wasted time reveling in his handy work, he flinched as soon as he felt a hard explosion at his back and numerous smaller explosions following soon after. Buu growled angrily, and looked up at the perpetrator who was already charging up another blast.

"What's the matter Buu? You stopped laughing?!"

Almost in defiance Buu did just that, as his smile returned to him. Only it grew even more sickening as it formed into a more sadistic looking smirk, forming up a little ball of concentrated energy of his own. Ryo gulped unsure of what to expect when the blast came suddenly hard and fast. "You no laugh either after this!"

Ryo broke off his Ki attack just in time to put his shield up before Buu's blast struck him head on. In retrospect, the shield did little good except if anything to save his life. It didn't save him much pain however as he was blown back, eventually crashing into the ground making a nice imprint of himself on the spot he landed. Smoking, and stained black with suit and dirt, Ryo tried to sit back up when a stinging pain erupted seemingly in every single muscle in his body, so he laid back down. "Make a note Ryo… Never take a pistol into a gunfight when your opponent has a bazooka…"

Buu snickered his disturbing childish laugh yet again, and turned his eyes back down towards Piccolo. Piccolo growled at the feel of the monster's gaze on him, not wanting to even fathom what Buu had in store for him. He'd almost given up trying to wiggle his way free. Buu's lard was very similar to quicksand in the way that the rope of fat seemed to get tighter the more the Namek struggled. "Now they all out of Buu's way… Buu hungry! Me eat you up now!"

"Eat me?" Piccolo laughed a nervous laugh. "I'd like to see you try… Hey, you know what go ahead! I hope I give you food poisoning you bloated freak!"

"You no upset Buu's tummy! Especially after I turn you into chocolate!"

"Chocolate?" was all Piccolo could manage to say before he felt a powerful ray shoot through his body. "AHH! What the hell are you doing to…"

  
In the meantime, Gohan was busy helping Videl as she regained her composure, when they both heard Piccolo scream's of torment. Videl gaped, and pointed towards them. "Gohan look! Piccolo's in trouble!"

"I'm on it…" Gohan's expression hardened, and he promptly flew off towards Buu and his mentor. He'd closed in to mere inches away from Buu when he suddenly stopped, and looked down with complete horror. Where his mentor had just been a mere second ago, was now a single bar of chocolate divided into six squares. As if it wasn't traumatic enough to see your mentor turned it a candy bar, then watching some bloated beast pick him up just to stuff him in his mouth was enough to warp you for life. While he might not have gone crazy, Gohan did in deed lose it right after Buu smirked at him, a smile highlighted by chocolate smears surrounding his lips.

"Spit him out you son of a bitch!" That might've been funny if the situation wasn't so traumatic. Gohan tried to force the issue by instantaneously going after Buu's bloated gut, pounding away at it with his fists as if he expected Buu to actually cough up his fallen mentor. Gohan's over aggressiveness may have done him more harm than good however. Exerting high amounts of energy at a high rate of speed, and allowing his concentration to wane in the process, Gohan left himself too vulnerable. As Buu utilized his incredible blubber stretching technique, Gohan suddenly found himself beating up air, and just as quickly found himself eating dirt. With a childish giggle, Buu rammed his hind end into Gohan's back driving the Demi-Sayian back to the ground. With yet another childish jeer, Buu sat back up and drove himself onto Gohan repeatedly, until Gohan wasn't much more than a Sayian pancake underneath the insurmountable power of Buu's fat ass. Buu sat up, ready for another splat when he felt a slender but strong pair of legs wrap around what everyone assumed was his neck.

"Let him go!" Videl demanded, squeezing her legs down tight enough that Buu's head inflated slightly. This seemed to amuse Buu more than it accomplished anything else. Using what was by far his most sickening shape shift of the battle, Buu literally sucked in his own face, easily allowing him to slide out of Videl's clutches. Videl's face recoiled at the feel of her legs clamping together, the small space in between them suddenly empty. Buu molded himself back into shape, and grabbed a hold of Videl's ankle. She tried to kick herself free of his grasp frantically, and surprisingly succeeded to wiggle her leg free, so easily in fact that she wondered if Buu had set her free on purpose. She didn't waste much time debating that matter over however.

"It's time to see just how much I've got I guess…" Videl flew several feet towards her left, wanting to make sure she didn't accidentally torch Gohan in the process of what she was planning. Summoning up as much energy as she could, unsure if this would do any good but hell, why not try it? So, Videl pulled back her arms, and fired a modest Ki blast Buu's direction. Buu waited patiently as the bright white light sped towards him, and chose a rather unorthodox way of defending himself. Rather then slapping it out of the way, or simply letting it explode off of him like he had so may times before, Buu opened his mouth and swallowed it whole. Videl gasped, and briefly froze in shock while Buu stared back at her. With a gleeful giggle, Buu's gut suddenly expanded slightly when a large lump formed in Buu's belly. His hips deflated again as the lump moved upward through this chest, traveled up his neck, and finally revealed itself as a large ball of Ki as it came rocketing out of his mouth. Videl screamed, and barely managed to roll out of the way as the blast whizzed by her, so close that it left a small burn mark on the side of her face. Videl watched the ball whiz into the stratosphere, and sighed in relief only to recoil immediately when she saw Buu hovering in front of her his face just inches in front of hers. She barely had time to scream, before Buu smashed his fist into Videl's chest. She fell to the ground like a runaway airplane, creating a decent sized crater after hitting the ground. 

With a weak groan, Videl's eyes opened slowly. She managed a slight twitch of her hand, but other than that she couldn't quite move or even feel any other part of her body. Her eyesight was just as sharp as ever however, as they quickly noticed Buu was standing above her peering into her hole. Even with a broken body, she refused to give in to him in the only way she could manage. Instead of showing fear, or conceding defeat she simply scowled angrily up at him as he stood there staring at her. Her heart did stop for an oh so brief second, however, when Buu laughed and slowly began to open his mouth…

"Videl…" Gohan mumbled after watching Videl smash into the earth like a small meteor. With a growl, he forced himself up to his knees, upon seeing Buu landing next to the crater she made. "Damn it Gohan get up! She needs you… Get yourself together!"

From his prone position on the ground, Ryo had seen everything from Piccolo being reduced to a Halloween treat, to Videl's Ki blast being swallowed whole, and spit back out at her with double the force. Now with Buu towering over her with his mouth slowly opening, Ryo wasn't content to just sit around and find out what Buu had in mind for her. He tried desperately to pick himself up, but his body just wasn't responding. "Videl!… Damn it, I can barely even sit up! Where the hell did everybody else go?!"

Ryo wasn't aware of it yet, but the other fighters were in pretty much the same condition as he was. Shin was crawling on all fours somewhere nearby, barely able to do just that. Vegeta was at least mobile, but he was still shaking the cobwebs out of his head after pulling himself out of the pile of rumble that he'd been buried under for a short time. With a disgusted grunt, Ryo realized he could barely help himself let alone Videl or anybody else. At this rate they were all going to end up like Piccolo… One by one…

Watching Buu's jaw hinge upward slowly, she assumed he had a jaw anyway, Videl closed her eyes and braced herself for whatever Buu had planned for her. But he didn't spit another Ki blast out of his mouth... There wasn't any ray shooting from the whip of flab on his head turning her into some sort of food substance… He didn't even swallow her whole like a snake, which was something Videl wasn't about to put above him. Instead, all she heard was a loud lengthy yawn. One of her eyes snapped open curiously to the sight of Buu's mouth widening like a vacuum. Her other eye opened and she turned her head upward, and watched Buu's lips smack together sleepily while his beady eyes could be seen sagging slightly.

"Buu sleepy… Go bed now… Play more tomorrow okay?…"

"Huh?" Videl mumbled, unsure if she should believe what was happening or not. Sure enough, Buu turned his back to Videl, and walked off a few feet before taking to the air, heading for some unknown destination to crash for the night. 

"He's sleepy?…" Gohan asked himself, as Buu flew off. 

"Err… He's mocking us again…" Vegeta mumbled, clutching his side.

Videl looked stunned as she stared after Buu as he flew off in the distance. She wasn't about to argue though… With a sigh of relief, she let her head fall to the ground and promptly passed out.

********

Shin sat perfectly still, the very picture of patience as Dende's energy washed over him. As he finished, Dende smiled and lowered his arms watching the Kai with a look of fulfillment as Shin examined his body thoroughly apparently surprised Dende's treatment actually worked. With a couple flexes of his hands, Shin smiled contently and praised the young Namek. "Quite impressive Dende… Not quite on the level of Kabito just yet, but all my wounds seem to have healed nicely. I thank you."

"Your welcome Kai…" Dende said, blushing slightly. It was quite an honor for the guardian of any planet to receive praise from the Supreme Kai himself.

"Well… What do we do now?" Ryo asked him, impressed with his own recovery at the hands of Dende's magic touch.

Shin grunted solemnly, looking out onto the darkening Earth night with pessimistic eyes. "I'm not sure what else we can do Ryo… For now I suggest we bide or time, and lick our wounds before Buu makes another appearance, which he is bound to do. As far as I know we're the only living beings left on the planet, so I don't think there's much trouble he can get into on his own down there…"

Vegeta, who had been sitting quietly up against one of the pillars in front of Dende's house, had finally heard enough. With a growl, Vegeta shot up to his feet and began to rant in his typical frustrated and angry Sayian manner. "I'll tell you fools what we should be doing, we should be out hunting down Buu instead of hiding like a bunch of cowards on this pathetic lookout! If we strike him while he worn down we'll be at an advantage! So what if we wait and get our strength when he'll just get all his back as well?!"

"Even if Buu hadn't decided to take a nap, he'd still have had plenty of strength to finish us off Vegeta," Shin snipped sharply. "Besides, so what if you did attack him while he slept? Once you woke him up, he'd still be as strong as ever, not to mention crabby. All we'd be doing is getting on his nerves… Why not just ask him to kill us all?"

Vegeta grunted, and started pacing about the lookout. "So what if he does kill us?! I'd rather die with honor out on the battlefield rather than standing here and waiting for that bloated blob to hunt me down like a doomed animal! I'm the prince of the Sayian's damn it! Nobody treats Vegeta like that! Nobody!"

"So, in other words you're saying it's hopeless…" Ryo asked Shin, trying to tone out Vegeta's temper tantrum. 

"If we go at him like we have been it is but…" Shin started, when a pair of young exuberant voices interrupted him. 

"Let us help you!" Goten yelped pleadingly, jumping in between Ryo and Shin with Trunks quick behind him.

"Yeah, you guys obviously need help, and we're all that's left! Since Piccolo's gone now, you're already a man down so you really do need us! Why don't you just admit it?!"

Shin smiled, appreciating the fire and courage of the two youths. If he could only find a way to harness all that childish energy into experience and instinct, he wouldn't think twice about inviting the two little boys along. "I'm sorry boys, but that just can't be done. While you boys are indeed amazingly strong, you still lack the experience to be thrown into a battle of this magnitude. You'd only get yourselves hurt or worse, not to mention distract your brother and your father Trunks."

"We don't care if we get hurt or even killed!" Trunks persisted, tears starting to from in his eyes. "If we're all going to die anyway I'd rather go down fighting rather than stay stuck up here feeling helpless, just like my dad doesn't!"

At hearing this, Vegeta seemed to snap out of the mini-trance caused by his aggressive Sayian bloodline. Any other circumstance and he might've been proud of his son, but seeing the situation as it was, he needed to put an end to this line of talk once and for all. With a new look of conviction, Vegeta stopped his pacing and stalked over to his son. "You'll do no such thing Trunks! You'll stay here with Dende and the others, and not get in our way you here me! I'm sorry but it's just too dangerous out there for you, your fighting instincts haven't developed well enough to fight a monster like Majin Buu…"

"But Dad! I want to…"

"Don't argue with me! You'll remain here, and that's final!" Vegeta's arm cut through the air, and Trunks immediately fell silent. With a scowl, Vegeta's voice softened as he spoke. "Besides… All this nonsense talk about dying, and impending doom needs to stop right now! You are not going to die Trunks, I'll see to that… If I have to die trying then so be it, but Buu will be destroyed!"  


Trunks didn't know what to say, so when his mouth opened nothing came out but a feeble little grunt. Any words he might've drummed up for any further argument were quickly forgotten once Vegeta had turned his back to his son, letting him know once and for all that the subject was indeed closed. Goten wisely, simply shut up on his own free will, knowing full well of Vegeta's sometimes nasty little temper, and the last thing the youngest still living earthling wanted was to somehow draw that rage towards him. Ryo eyed the two bummed out boys sympathetically. He knew first hand what it felt like to feel helpless, to be forced to watch somebody else defend you or fight your battles for you. It was true that the boys were very young yet, but the feeling still wasn't the most pleasant emotion to endure. 

"You know guys, we really do need you boys to stay here," Ryo spoke, drawing the attention of the young Sayians. 

"Yeah, we know. So we don't get in the way," Trunks grumbled.

"Well there is that…" Ryo admitted, but maintained a smile. "But there is another more important reason we need you boys to stay safe. Your dad is right Trunks, no matter how tough Majin Buu may seem we have to believe there is a way to stop him, otherwise we all might as well stamp dead on our forehead's and lay down to make a nice little buffet line for that fat blob! Even if we do pull off a miracle and stop Buu, that still doesn't guarantee any of us are going to survive long enough to celebrate the victory… If that happens then we'll need somebody left on Earth who's still breathing, so they can find the Dragon Balls and wish everything back to normal."

Goten almost looked hopeful, before quickly frowning with dejection when Trunks spat out. "But what about Dende and Krillen?"

Ryo sweat dropped. He had hoped the little tykes would let that little formality slip past them, but he should've known better with Trunks. He was Bulma's son after all, and Vegeta was by no means a simpleton in his own right. Ryo did have a backup answer just in case this little setback arrived. "Well now, how are they going to find the balls Trunks? Your family are the only people on Earth with access to a Dragon Ball radar as far as I know anyway…"

Trunks eyes bulged wide. "Hey, that's right! I'd be the only one who knows where we hid the back ups?!"

"Umm… Yeah, there you see!" Ryo improvised, of course having no clue whatsoever Bulma had hidden away any backup radar's, but he wasn't about to spit in the face of a lucky coincidence. 

"At least now we now we have a way to find the Dragon Balls…" Dende spoke up. "But on to the more important question… How are you guys going to go about beating Majin Buu?…"

"That's the part we haven't figured yet," Ryo mumbled, then looked over at the Kai. "Are you sure there's absolutely nothing different we could try that might help us beat him?"

"Well…" Shin looked thoughtful, as he tugged at his earring, but then lowered his hand back down as if second-guessing himself. "There might be one technique we could try but… It's complicated, and packs some serious consequences at that but…"

Hearing this, Vegeta's head snapped back around before he stalked over to the Kai. "Well if you know, something than spit it out! And if you do, you better not dare tell me you've been with holding information from us that could've helped us stop Buu all this time!"

"Of course not Vegeta, what do you take me for?" Shin replied, keeping his cool but his voice remained sharp and pointed none the less. "Buu did kind of pop up unexpected, so there wasn't much time to devise any battle plans. Still, I haven't mentioned anything about this technique yet, because I was saving it for a last resort… I still wouldn't recommend using it however, unless there's absolutely no other choice…"

"Well, I think just about all the rest of our choices have been blown straight into orbit," Ryo reminded Shin of something the Kai was all too aware of. "What exactly is this technique, and will it even work?"

"I'm not sure, that's the other reason I've kept it under wraps, besides the drastic consequences the technique holds…" Shin removed his earring, and clasped his hand over it. "Have any of you ever heard of a technique called fusion?"

Ryo shook his head, while Vegeta snarled. "I know what the word means, but other than that you've lost me!"

"Well, it's a special technique where two separate beings can fuse into one individual, combining all there powers together and amplifying them to an even greater degree," Shin explained. "Basically, two different warriors can fuse together and create and even stronger being."

"I think I get what you're saying…" Dende popped in. "You mean like when Piccolo fused with Nail or Kami?"

"No, not quite," Shin smirked. "That's almost a amateur version of the fusion technique compared to the way of the Kai's. When Piccolo fused with the other Namek's, he pretty much maintained the same personality, though gaining a few traits, powers, and wisdom from the other's he fused with. With this method, the two fighters combine into one being. One mind, one body."

"Well, that doesn't sound so bad…" Ryo said.

"There is a catch though Ryo…" Shin sighed. "After the fusion is completed, the process is permanent. There's no way to reverse the effects. The two fighters that fuse together as their individual selves will no longer exist in a sense…"

Ryo and Dende's eyes went wide. "Man, you weren't kidding when you said drastic consequences were you?" 

"Fusion huh?" Vegeta snorted, not liking the sound of where this was going. "Let's say that just by chance that we do have to resort to this method. Just who exactly were you planning on using to complete this littler merger?!"

"Well… The most logical pair to fuse would be the two strongest fighters available when the time comes…"

Vegeta's face recoiled. "What?! Are you out of your mind?! That would be me, and Kakkarot's brat! Besides, there's no way I'd ever agree to share my body with anybody else, so you can just forget it!"

"But Vegeta…" Dende looked over to him cautiously. "Um… What if you had no other alternative but to fuse, otherwise facing the complete utter destruction of the world and everyone we know that's still in it?"

Vegeta glared at Dende with a grunt of frustration, but other than that said nothing.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves here," Shin told them. "That's just what I said, it would only be a last resort. All I'm asking is for everyone to think it over just in case the worst happens, and we have no other options present to us."

Vegeta snarled again, his fists clenching tightly as he shouted. "Look here! The only possible way I'd even consider pondering this ridiculous science experiment is if there were absolutely no other options you understand me?!"

"I understand Vegeta," Shin said with a grin. "That's all I was asking of you… Say, where have Gohan and Videl gotten off to? I should probably fill them in as to what we were discussing here."

A smile crossed Ryo's lips, so close to evil that it might as well have been considered such, various thoughts running through his head. "They ran off somewhere to be alone for a while… Doing whatever it is young lovers do I guess… You know what I mean don't you?"

"Well, now that you mention it no," Shin responded, looking confused. He scanned Ryo's thoughts, and his face recoiled. "Awe Ryo! Disgusting! You can't be serious, at a time like this?!"

"Hey, it's what I'd be doing."

"Hey Trunks…" Goten whispered to him, after they managed to slip away out of the earshot of the rest of the Z-crew. "What do think about this fusion thingy the adults were talking about… Do you think they'll really have to do it!"

"I don't know, maybe… I think it might be kind of cool actually… You know what I mean, to see what two people would look like when they became one person you know?"

"Kind of…" Goten looked thoughtful, as thoughtful as Goten could look mind you. "But what if my brother really did fuse with your dad... Don't you think that would be kind of weird?"

"Yeah But… Hey! If that happens we'd kind of be like brothers you know! Because my dad would technically be like your dad then."

"Huh?" Goten retained his more recognizable expression of clueless-ness, before smiling and actually assessing the situation pretty well on his own. "Well not really, but if you look at it that way then that means my brother would kind of like be your dad, and that would make me your uncle!"

"What?" Trunks frowned. "No wait... My dad would be your brother... No, then your brother would be my dad, and then… No, that's not right! When did this stop making sense?"

"I dunno," Goten giggled, a childish smile of glee plastered over his face. "But I do know one thing. If they do fuse, that means my brother would be sleeping in your mom's bed!"

"Ewe, Goten sick!" Trunks gagged, before getting a queasy look in his eyes. "On second thought, I hope they don't fuse now, or I'm going to need some serious therapy when I get older."

*******

"No way!" Gohan marveled, intrigued by Videl's story. "So you say you and Ryo trained in some sort of rip in the flow of time?"

"Yeah, it's hard to explain…" Videl went on. "Ryo wouldn't tell me much about it… All I know is that we spent over a year in that place, and though it would seem impossible somehow we only aged about an hour… And somehow, we managed to get spit out at almost the exact same point in time that we went in."

"Maybe you should stop there, my head's starting to hurt now," Gohan laughed, as the two of them wandered the halls of the house on top of the lookout. They couldn't really think of many other places they could be alone in that small cramped little place, and they'd have to spend the night inside those walls anyway. Truth be known, they had an entire planet they could've roamed at their own leisure with no one to bother them, but under the circumstances it was just kind of a gloomy place to be at that point and time. "That explains how you improved so fast however… Its amazing Videl, that's still relatively a short time to home your skills to that degree…"

"Ah, I didn't improve that much," Videl chuckled, as her cheeks tinted pint. "At least not enough to avoid getting pulverized by Buu that is."

"Eh, join the club. In case you didn't notice, none of us did very well against him… Hell, even when we gained up on him. You did well just to survive the onslaught you know? If you would've tried to face him the way you were before you would've been dead by now…" Gohan looked over at Videl, and noticed she still had her head hanging dejectedly. "Hey, didn't you just hear me Videl? You did the best you could, so there's no reason…"

"That's not what's bothering me!" Videl shouted, in what sounded more like a grizzled whine. "I can admit when I'm beat, and I don't cry about it, it's just… We've got to face reality for what it is… There's a good chance we might be looking at our last few days on Earth you know…"

"Videl don't talk like that!" Gohan said, as he came to a stop, and grabbed her by her shoulders. "As long as I'm still alive, nothing's going to happen to you, I swear it! I'll protect you with my life if I have to just…"

"You just don't get it, do you Gohan?! That's the last thing I want! If you'd shut up a second and let me finish what I was saying then you'd…"

"What?…" Gohan was taken back, though he wasn't sure if it was more because of the fact she blew up at him like that, or from what she had said to him in the process. "Videl…"

"I'm not afraid to die Gohan… Though the idea still isn't appealing to me," Videl told him in much softer tone. "Though I appreciate you worrying about me, I'm not a scared little girl that needs your protection okay… It's just that… So what if… Even if somehow I do make it out of this entire mess alive, what's the point if?…"

"Videl…" Gohan stammered, unsure of what else he could say. He wasn't used to seeing Videl like this, and with this foreign state she was in he wasn't as confident he could come up with the words to ease her mind, not like he was with the somewhat tomboyish and temperamental side of her anyhow. That version of her was hard enough to deal with as it was. "What are you getting at?"

Videl's eyes snapped shut tightly as if trying to fight back some sort of foreign substance trying to invade unconquered territory, where it wasn't welcome nor wanted. As she fought the feeling off however, she remembered a promise she had made herself a long time ago, and realized that on this one occasion it might be okay to bend just a little bit. Gohan winced when he felt Videl's hands touch the inside of his arms softly, and all of the sudden found himself being slammed against the wall, Videl's arms wrapped around his waist tightly. "Don't you try to be a hero on my account, you understand me?! Don't let me distract you out there… I swear if you let yourself get killed trying to protect me, I'll never forgive you! Do you understand me?!"

"Videl… I can't promise you that…" Gohan told her, resting his hand on the back of her head comfortingly. "But don't you worry… Anything that happens can be fixed with the Dragon Balls, so there's always hope. If anything happens to me, don't forget that okay?"

"That still doesn't make the thought any easier," Videl laughed weakly, practically sobbing as she chose to rest her forehead against his shoulder. "If anything happened to you I just don't know…"

"I feel the same way Videl…" Gohan said softly, feeling his heart wrench at the sound of a sniffle, and a soft crack in her voice. He knew what was coming, and it was the last thing he wanted to witness her do right now. "Videl please don't… Remember, you promised yourself you wouldn't cry? Not until you found somebody that's… That's worth it…"

"Just shut up Gohan…" Videl sobbed, as her eyes betrayed her, allowing a few drops of moisture to roll down her cheeks. "Just shut up…"

Gohan complied with her wish for moment, placing his arms around her protectively while her grip tightened around his torso. It was really the only way to guard someone from their own fears and emotions, in this case at least. It was strange how the closeness of somebody else could do that for you. 

"It'll be all right…" Gohan muttered after a short time. Videl raised her head off his chest, with her eyes shut tightly not wanting Gohan to see her crying, as if it were the ultimate badge of shame for her. Without even the aid of her eyes, Videl managed to lean upward and plant her lips on his near perfectly, as if finding them on pure instinct alone. Not content with keeping it at that, Videl snuck her hand through a hole in his Gi, and rolled it across his chest. Gohan tensed up briefly upon contact, causing his hands to clutch down on the back of Videl's shirt, though he tried his best not to bare his fingers down on her skin. They parted sometime later, Videl's eyes now wide open as she peered deep into his. "Umm Videl… You want me to walk you to your room?"

"Well… Only if you're planning to make it a one way trip…"

"Huh? Videl what are you?…"  


Videl's lips curved upward, watching the blood rush into Gohan's cheeks. Videl pushed her face up close to his, and said softly. "Look, I'm going to assume we're all going to find a way to pull out of this mess… But just in case this is our last night on Earth together… I don't want to leave this plain never knowing… Just stay with me tonight, will you?"

Gohan had to think about it… For all of about five seconds. With a nervous smile, Gohan managed to reply. "If that's what you want Videl…"

"Not if you don't too…"

Gohan's body shook, as Videl's moved in closer. Oh well… Rest, was highly overrated anyway.

End. 

-Hum, hum… You know I had an entire little side story planned for this chapter that I can't use thanks to FF.net's new censorship policies. Oh well… Just one more note guys and girls, please remember the comment Gohan made in this chapter about the Dragon Balls. Something's going to happen sometime in the next several chapters, I know a lot of you aren't going to like, but just remember that little comment before you write me any hate mail or threatening reviews. Remember, you've been warned.


	25. Chapter 25

-Just a side note on that lemon I mentioned in the last chapter, I thought I should get something straight. Even if FF.net didn't put up their new ratings restrictions, I never planned on including the lemon in this actual story. It was going to be a separate side-story apart from this, simply based on the same story line. I know not every reader likes that sort of thing, and I try to stay respectful as I can. I appreciate all the advice on how to… Quote, unquote, bend the rules so to speak, but I have no plans on doing so. Though I heavily *disagree* and oppose FF.net's position on lemon type stories, I'm going to honor their decision regardless. That doesn't mean you might not see said story pop up somewhere else if I ever decide to write it now. I don't know what impressed me more, all the attention that one little comment got, or the fact that some of you are actually reading the author's notes! I've gotta be more careful about what I say now…Ah, nah…

-One last thing is I'd like to apologize for the lack of quality in the last couple of chapters of this story… The truth is I lost interest in working this story for a while, and tried to force out the last several chapters so I feel the quality suffered. I took a little break, and I'm happy to say that I feel this effort is much better than a few of the previous. 

Chapter 25

Videl's eyes fluttered open, immediately faced with strange unfamiliar surroundings. It took all but a moment to remember she was inside Dende's lookout, and to recall just whom she was with when she nudged gently into something large and very solid. She smiled at Gohan, who was very much still out cold, laying flat on his back, his mouth hanging open slightly. Videl scooted over close to him, resting her head against his shoulder. It wasn't her intention to wake him, but he began to stir anyway slowly returning to the realm of consciousness. Just like Videl, he appeared confused by his surroundings as he first awoke, until he felt Videl's presence next to him. He seemed to remember everything right then, as symbolized by the ever darkening blush spreading across his cheeks.

"Umm… Good Morning…" Gohan greeted shyly.

Videl laughed at his expression, and snuggled up closer to him. "Grow up Gohan… Ease up will ya? What's done is done you know…"

"Yeah… Um… I guess I'm just a little overwhelmed still…?"

"You dork…" Videl mumbled, before giving him a quick peck on the cheek. "I love you…"

"I love you too…" Gohan pulled her close to him, and their lips found each other. They were content to keep it that way too, and it was uncertain if they planned on coming up for air any time soon, until a sudden knock on their door startled them. They both jumped, Gohan glaring at the door as if the wooden pane was going to burst out laughing at him at any moment. "Who's there?!"

"Hey, what's going on in there?!" Ryo snickered from the other side of the door. "Are you guys decent?… Or at least covered up?"

"No!" Gohan spouted, before thinking over what he'd just said. "I mean, what is that supposed to mean?!"

"How did he know we were in the same room?!" Videl whispered to Gohan.

"How should I know?! Process of elimination I guess!"

Ryo chuckled, overhearing the whispers coming from inside. "Well, either way I'm coming in for a sec, so I don't know… Hide or something…"

Both Videl and Gohan tried to make themselves invisible for the entire ten seconds Ryo poked his head through the door, only to throw two sets of clean clothes into their laps. "I figured you might need these, so you'd better hurry up. We've got a planet to save, and all that crap…"

As Ryo shut the door behind him, Gohan and Videl looked towards each other and blushed. "Let's get out of here, before anybody else decides to pay a visit!"

"Good idea," Videl agreed. They hopped out of bed, and hastily dressed before exiting the building to meet up with the others. The rest of the Z-fighters were already amassed outside waiting for them, once they finally emerged from the building.

"Ah Gohan, there you are…" Shin greeted, performing an ill-advised scan of Gohan's mind in the process. Blushing slightly, the Kai backpedaled slowly, trying to act as casual as possible. 

"Umm Kai… Is something wrong?"

"No, nothing at all…" Shin mumbled, berating himself about needing to learn when and when not to probe people's minds. "I thought Ryo was kidding…"

"Well, it's about time!" Vegeta snorted, as the two teens finally showed their faces. "Can we hurry this up now?! Buu's not getting any weaker!"

"Yes, I think we're all ready now," Shin announced quickly, thankful for the change in his thought flow. "As ready as any of us can be to stare straight into the face of doom that is."

And with that, the hunt began.

********

The only good thing going for Gohan and his friends at the time was the fact that Buu wouldn't be all that hard to find. Whether that in itself was a good thing or not was a subject destined for intense debate. There was no mistaking that incredible evil aurora he radiated wherever he went. 

"We appear to be getting closer," Shin assessed, as Buu's energy drew closer. "Oddly, we seem to be gaining ground rapidly, as if Buu's contained himself to one spot. I wonder what he's up to?"

Vegeta was wondering the exact same thing, as they charged forward. A different view formed in his mind however, as Buu's energy came dangerously close. His expression tightened as he realized. "That's what he's… He's coming right at us!"

All eyes turned to Vegeta for all of about five seconds, when a huge energy surge was felt to the east. As their heads turned in that direction all they could see was a huge pink blob speeding towards them. "Incoming!" Gohan yelped, as Buu cut through them to the center of the group.

Neither Gohan nor Vegeta even noticed Buu was overtop of them until his arms swooped down with a pair of vicious chops sending them both hurdling towards the earth. They'd later both curse the fact that they chose to wait, rather than charge up to Super Sayians while back at the lookout.

"Vegeta, Gohan!" Shin cried out before feeling the presence of a strong power at his back. The sickening cackle wasn't a necessary hint, but potent none the less. The Kai froze in place, breaking into a nervous sweat. He hadn't even the time to turn his head before Buu made his move.

"Buu… BUUUU!" the monster whaled as a large Ki blast blew out of his hand, and completely engulfed the Kai. His shrill scream could be heard for only a moment before his body blasted off in the distance, quickly disappearing from view. 

"Supreme Kai!" Ryo gaped, uncertain of the Kai's fate.

"Do you think he survived that?…" Videl asked shakily.

"I honestly don't know Videl… I'm not even sure if you can kill a supreme being, but either way…" Ryo's head jerked around, remembering that he had more pressing matters to concern himself with aside from the Kai's fate. That was the matter of Majin Buu, who was glaring down at Videl and himself, either sizing them up or just messing with their heads. He had to know from the two previous encounters that neither one of them were much of a threat to Buu without backup.

"What do we do now?" Videl asked, facing the sudden feel of isolation.

"Only one thing to do." Ryo looked Videl in the eyes. They shook their heads completely understanding the other, and in full agreement proceeded to run like hell. Buu smiled, as he watched them flee not even bothering to make a move after them. They raced towards the ground, landing near Gohan and Vegeta as they were just then managing to pick themselves off of the ground. 

"Damn… Where's the Kai?" Gohan asked, noting that while Ryo and Videl's Ki had gathered around him, the Kai was inconspicuous by his absence.

"Buu just blasted the snot out of him after he knocked out you and Vegeta," Ryo replied. "All joking aside, he could be half way to Canada by now if he was lucky enough to survive…"

"Darn it! That's one more down…" Gohan complained. "What do you we do now?!"

"Well, for starters…" Vegeta grunted, as he powered all the way up to his SS2 mode. "So much for conversing energy before the battle eh?"

Gohan followed the elder Sayians example, and they all braced themselves as Buu finally decided to descend down towards the group. "Ha, ha! You come, you come! You take too long to find Buu, so Buu come find you!"

Vegeta growled, and stepped out in front of the others. "You kids stay out of this! I'll defeat this blob, or die trying! Don't get in my way understand?!"

"Vegeta, we don't have time for this!" Gohan argued. "As many as six of us have been ganging up on him at any give time, and we haven't been able to scratch him! How well do you think you're going to fair one on one?! This isn't the time to let your pride blind you!"

"I fight better alone! I'll handle myself more efficiently if I don't have to worry about a bunch of kids getting in my way! Besides… I don't see any of you coming up with any better ideas!"

"Actually, I think I might have one," Ryo announced, drawing all eyes to him.

"Oh, you think so?" Vegeta snorted, clearly skeptical. "Then by all means enlighten us!"

"Well… I'm sure you all have noticed despite all that raw strength, he appears to have the mindset of a small child. That's one of the things that makes him so dangerous, he doesn't seem mature enough to realize the difference between right and wrong. I wouldn't be surprised if he really does think he's playing a game with us."

"Yeah well, even if he does acts like a big kid, he's still dangerous," Gohan gathered. "How does that help us out?"

"Well it doesn't off hand…" Ryo continued, smiling slightly. "But just like any child, I'm sure he can easily be distracted or manipulated if you handle him just right… Well, it's hard to explain, so just watch me I guess… This might seem a little crazy and incredibly stupid at first, but trust me. I know what I'm doing… I think…"

Ryo took a few steps forward, and shouted upward. "Hey Buu! Come on down here a second, I have a little proposition for you!"

"Has he lost his mind?!" Gohan gasped, while Gohan and Vegeta both cringed. "Calling Buu out like that! Why doesn't he just stick himself between a couple loafs of bread, and save Buu the trouble!"

"Why you call to Buu?" he asked, as he landed in front of Ryo. The boy took a step back, but managed to maintain his cool. "You want fight Buu now?"

"No, no, it's pretty obvious that I'm no challenge to you," Ryo stammered, hoping to high hell that Buu would take a moment to listen before electing to do something unimaginable to him. "It's just that I couldn't help but notice that you like to have fun."

The creature smiled. "Buu like fun."

"Yes, you've obviously had a ball smacking us around from one side of Earth to the other," Ryo mumbled. "But I'm not bitter about that. You see, I like to have fun too, so I just wanted to ask you Buu… Do you know how to dance?"

"Dance?!" Gohan's mouth dropped, unable to believe what he'd just heard.

"He's got to be kidding…" 

"I don't think he is Videl…"

"What Dance?" Buu asked innocently.

"Oh, just something humans do for fun you know?" Ryo told him. "I can teach you if you want to try it…"

"More fun than blowing up cities, and making people dead?"

Ryo flinched. "Um yes... Much more fun than that, and not near as damaging to the economy or property values."

"Hmm… Buu no so sure, but Buu try anyway!"

"I don't know what he's doing, but Buu just may be stupid enough to fall for it…" Vegeta assessed, staring at them in complete shock.

"Okay, now stick your leg out and shake it like this…" Ryo demonstrated his instructions by sticking out his leg, and rotating it around in a circle. Appearing mildly confused, Buu repeated the actions somewhat reluctantly by sticking out his pudgy leg and shaking it. "Okay, now set you leg down, and try it with the other one." Buu did as instructed, and the next several minutes or so consisting of nothing much more than Buu shaking his chubby legs. "There, you're getting the hang of it already!"

"Buu get, Buu get!" the monster chuckled happily.

"Yeah, that's it! Now turn around a swivel your hips like this…"

"Like this?…"

Buu turned face, and promptly wiggled his butt around in a circle much to the disgust of the remaining Z-fighters.

"That thing could block out the sun…" Vegeta commented, as Buu shook his rump.

"What is he doing?…" Videl asked, as if actually expecting some sort of logical answer that obviously wasn't coming…

"Well… From the look of things I'm fairly certain he's trying to teach Buu how to dance…"

"I know that much Gohan!… Even though it looks more like the hokey pokey right now… What I want to know is why he's trying to teach Buu how to dance!"

"I don't know… Well, he's certainly smart enough, so I'd like to think he knows what he's doing… Then again, there is the possibility that the pressure's gotten to him, and he's lost his mind."

"No, he knows what he's doing," Vegeta disagreed. "He's obviously trying to distract Buu… At least I sincerely hope he is anyway…"

"Trying to distract Buu from what?" Videl asked.

"How should I know?… But I'm sure he'll find someway to signal us when this mockery is over with… I just hope it's soon. I might be the one to go insane if I have to stand here much longer and watch that bloated blob shake his fat a…"

"Buu Shake Booty!" 

"Indeed," Ryo grumbled, resisting the urge to hurl on the spot as he watched Buu's blubber curdle and churn in ways no living being should. "And I'll have to hand it to you, that's a lot of rump to move… Now, why don't you try this move?…"

"Hmm…" 

"First lay flat on your back like this," Ryo instructed, taking to the ground. "And spin your body around like so…" Ryo leveled himself by the support of his rear-end, and spun his body around like a top, looking more like a set of helicopter blades to a normal set of eyes. Buu watched curiously as Ryo slowly spun to a stop, and stood back up. "Okay, now you try." 

With a curious hum Buu dropped to his back, and tried to duplicate Ryo's movements, but resembled more of a hippo wallowing upside down in a muddy lake. "This stupid! Buu's body no move that way!"

"That's exactly what I was hoping for," Ryo smirked, before taking to the air and screaming out. "NOW!"

Buu looked up, and before he could blink his eyes found a wave of energy blasts crashing down on him, including a Kamehameha wave, a Gattling gun attack, and several other assorted blasts. Half a minute, and numerous energy exerting attacks later, Buu was engulfed in a gigantic puff of smoke. Vegeta fired a few more for good measure, even after Buu's carcass was no longer visible underneath the cloud of post-aggression. Finally, they relented and waited as the cloud rose to the sky slowly revealing a giant crater blown into the ground, waiting to see if there was anything left of the monster, or if their assault even had any effect whatsoever. 

"Did we get him?…" Videl stammered, fearing the answer.

"I doubt it…" Gohan mumbled, still sensing something lurking in the clouds. "He's still around here somewhere…"

"Well, I'd wish he'd hurry it up and show himself... I'm tired of these ridiculous games he's…" Vegeta's face faltered as he felt something moving it's way through the smoke. Within the time it took to take a breath, a pink blur speed through the cover of black. Never slowing his momentum, like a bullet Buu drove his head into Vegeta's midsection. Vegeta folded over and barely managed to grunt before Buu, with one hand, grabbed the Sayian Prince by the ankle and hurled him down towards the Earth. As it seemed to be inevitable on this particular battlefield, Vegeta's back met rock and yet another pile of boulders was instantly decimated. Vegeta grumbled as he sat up from his bed of stone. "What was that purple goof thinking?!… Burying that creature in a place like this… Live or die, I'm going to find a way to get him for this…"

Ryo cringed as he watched Buu attack Vegeta, and made a strategic decision to distance himself from the marauding monster. Too bad for him that almost as soon as that thought processed, a pink blur zipped in front of his face giving way to the vision of an angry looking Buu staring right at him. Ryo sweat dropped as he stared straight into the angry scowl on his fat pink face. "Oh, hey Buu… I hope you're not sore about that… We were just playing around you know… No hard feelings hey… ack!"

Ryo received his answer when Buu's hand snapped forward, and grabbed him by the neck. Ryo struggled to get free, but found himself at Buu's mercy as his pudgy pink fingers coiled around Ryo's neck. "You no play nice." Buu's frown converted to a sick twisted smile. "You say bye-bye now!"

With a motion seemingly as simple as a flick of his wrist, a large ball of energy quickly swelled in Buu's hand. Ryo was helpless to defend himself when Buu placed his hand up to Ryo's stomach and viciously released the blast into him. Ryo felt as if his insides were being ripped apart after the blast exploded into him, propelling him backwards at breakneck speed. Buu waved to him casually as Ryo's body sped off in the horizon. "Bye-Bye!"

"Ryo!" Gohan gasped after watching his friend get blasted close range with a devastating blast of energy, and then sent sailing. 

"That son of a!.. Do you think he's o… kay…" Videl asked, but when she turned her head she noticed Gohan had already zoomed off in the direction Ryo had just been blasted. "I guess that's a no…"

Gohan tracked Ryo down a good twenty miles or so away from the battleground, which was barely a full minute trip for a speeding Super Sayian. Ryo was laying flat on his back with most of his clothes ripped up or torn away, and blood splattered over a good portion of his body when Gohan found him. With a gasp, Gohan sped to the scene, dropping down to his knees almost as soon as he landed. Gohan could still feel his life force, but it was frighteningly faint even at such a close range. Still, Gohan remained optimistic, and calmly tried to stir his friend into showing some sign of life. "Ryo… Come on man, I know your still in there. This is Gohan, come on buddy wake up…"

Ryo's eyes fluttered open slowly, at least partway anyhow. He managed to make out Gohan's half-smirking face, despite his vision being made blurry from over all fatigue and numerous popped blood vessels around his damaged retinas. "Gohan… What the… What… the hell are… you doing here…You should be back there fighting with Buu…"

"And I'll get back to that in a minute. I just wanted to make sure you were okay… How are you feeling?" Gohan wanted to slap himself after realizing how stupid that question sounded. Ryo chuckled lightly, while his body quivered and trembled slightly. He wanted to see if he could find any part of his body whatsoever that had any feeling left in it… The answer so far was none.

"To tell you the truth, I've felt better…You know, I saw this coming… Not from any psychic premonition or anything… Just judging by my own history I guess… It doesn't seem to matter how hard I try, or what I do to improve myself it never seems to be enough… Born useless, I guess that means you're always useless hey? I'm not sure how many times I'll have to prove that to myself before I'll finally admit to myself how pathetic I really am… I probably should've quite while I was ahead a long time ago…"

"Ryo how can you say that?… Look at all you've accomplished over the past couple of weeks alone! You do remember that you're the marital arts champion of the world don't you? Once we wish the planet back to normal you're basically going to be world famous… It's not really a false title either, you're basically one of the strongest humans on the planet you know?…"

Ryo laughed weakly. "Yeah big deal… So I beat some loud mouth for some stupid strap of tin, and the guy can't even fathom the league we're in… And I won the adulation of a few million people who quite frankly, a couple of months ago wouldn't have crossed the street to piss on me if I were on fire, let alone cared who I was. That's not what I wanted anyway… It just sort of happened, and I had to deal with it… So what if I'm one of the strongest humans alive?… I can uproot trees, cause minor earthquakes, and blowup buildings with medium-sized energy blasts from my bare hands… Big deal, whoopee-do…"

Gohan's eyes went a little wide, unsure where this weak but passionate rant was coming from. "Ryo… If none of that matters to you, the strength in particular, then why have you bothered to train so hard to reach this level… There's got to be some reason for it isn't there?"

"Of course there was… I… I…" Ryo rolled his head to the side, taking a tremendous risk when you considered that he might have the strength to roll his head back up again if the desire hit him to do so. "I just wanted to make something of myself you know?… I wasn't looking for accolades, or anyone to feed my ego by acknowledging how strong I was. I've seen some horrible things in my days Gohan… And there was a time in my life when I was completely powerless to stop them. I always hated feeling helpless... And I hated seeing other people afraid a helpless knowing there was nothing I could do to help them, or myself for that matter. You know I'm not trying to sound sexist here, but do you know how damaging it is to the male ego to have to be protected and rescued by the girl you have a crush on not once, but on a couple separate occasions? It's not that I mind being defended by a woman mind you, actually I found it a bit of a turn-on, but it did get me to thinking… What would I have been able to do if the situation was suddenly reversed? Just one slip on the road of fate, and she might've been the one to wind up needing help? What would've happened if she needed my help? I'll tell you what would've happened, we would've both been dead that's what! I wanted to be able to protect the people I care about, and it wasn't long after that when I decided to learn how to defend myself… Or just to help anyone in general who needed it… Now I'm actually faced with that scenario and just like always I've failed… Ever since Buu appeared after we left that spaceship, all I've managed to accomplish is to get in yours and Vegeta's way… I got exactly what was coming to me for being stupid enough to believe I'd actually be of any use to you…"

"Come on Ryo, cut that out…" Gohan muttered weakly. "Don't sell yourself short by comparing yourself to Buu! This monster is unlike any other even I've seen before, and I've stared down the faces of some pretty wicked creatures… If case you haven't noticed, Vegeta and I haven't had much luck against that monster either… Don't judge yourself based off of one battle with a being stronger than any other monster we could even fathom!"

"Funny, I was always taught a warrior was measured by how he performs when it's all the line… When everything counts, and the stakes for this battle are about as high as it gets…" Ryo laughed weakly, but his expression softened as he looked up at Gohan, seeing the legitimate concern for him filling his eyes. Ryo wasn't used to that look. There was a time in his life when he thought nobody cared about him. It was sure nice to have friends for a change… Too bad he could do nothing to help him when he needed it the most… Just like always. Right there, he realized that whining about it wasn't going to solve anything. He'd gotten a chance to play out his little death scene, and it was time to let Gohan move on to more important things. "You know, maybe you're right… Buu is one tough asshole… I'll take your word for it I guess…"

"That's good…" Gohan said, despite knowing his friend didn't mean it. You couldn't change a person's mindset just like that with a few unorganized words, despite what you might see on some corny weekday afternoon Anime show. That took time. Still, Ryo just as Gohan, realized they didn't have a lot of time to be wasting tending to Ryo's wounded self-confidence. Ryo possibly had much less time than Gohan even. "I better get you fixed up first…"

Gohan reached for the bag attached to his belt that contained the senzu beans he'd been keeping ever since the Tenkaichi. He immediately became alarmed when his hand patted the pouch, and noticed the bag wasn't as lumpy as it should be. Gohan quickly yanked the bag off of his belt, and opened the pouch. To his dismay, all that remained of the miracle herb were dust particles as they fluttered out from the pouch's mouth. "On no, the senzu beans! They must've gotten destroyed somewhere during the fight with Buu! Damn it, how could I be so careless?!"

Ryo forced a weak smile as he watched his one chance for survival blow away in the wind. "Ha… Look on the bright side Gohan… At least now you won't have to waste one of those things on me…"

"It's just a minor setback, don't worry about it! I'll get you to Dende, he'll be able to help you! Just hang on okay…"

"Gohan stop!" Ryo coughed, as Gohan motioned to lift him off the ground. "There's no time for that… You need to be worrying about Buu right now! Vegeta and Videl are still back there, you need to focus on helping them right now…"

Gohan looked back in the direction of the battlefield from whence he came. He hadn't forgotten about them for a second. "Vegeta can handle himself for a while at least… And don't worry about Videl, I'm pretty sure she followed me… I just went way too fast for her to keep up. I haven't forgotten about them, don't worry about that. I need to get you some help first, and then we'll get back to finding a way to stop Buu…"

"But you don't understand!" Ryo shouted as loud as he could mange, and thus didn't reach loud enough decimals to be considered much more than a grumble. In fact, yelling even that loud proved to be too much stress on his chest and lungs, as he began to cough up blood. Panicked, Gohan pressed his hands down on Ryo's shoulders to keep him steady, noting grimly how the life in Ryo's eyes was beginning to fade with each passing second. "You don't understand… You'd never make it to the lookout in time… I'd be long gone before we got there… Even if you traveled at top speed, in my body's condition I wouldn't be able to handle the stress of traveling at that sort of speed… You'd just be wasting your time…"

"Well, I have to try something! I can't just leave you here…"

"Yes you can… Think about it, what if something happened to Videl or Vegeta while you were wasting time with me? You'd never forgive yourself. I'm a lost cause anyway… Besides, there's always the dragon balls you know… Once you finally mange to defeat Buu, you can wish everything back to normal. Think about the big picture for now Gohan, stop focusing on the blueprints…"

Gohan gritted his teeth. "You can't just expect me to leave you here to die! I can't do it Ryo, I just can't…"

Ryo couldn't even manage the slightest smirk at this point. It was hurting him just to talk… He was too exhausted to do much of anything. He couldn't move, it gave him a migraine to think, and what little energy that was left in his body was pathetically enough being used to hold his eyelids open and to cough out a few barely audile words. All he wanted at the moment was for this conversation to be over, so he could shut his mouth, close his eyes, and rest. Just to rest. To let his body relax, and not have to worry about such daunting tasks as speaking and thinking. He would have to use those muscles just one more time, and this would all be over. "Alright Gohan… If that's the case… Then I promise I won't die…"

Gohan's eyes went wide. He looked down at the wreck of a boy below him, knowing full well he couldn't keep a promise like that. "You promise not to die?…"

"If that'll ease your mind about me, and get your thought process back on stomping Buu, then I'll give it a shot… I'll try to hold out as long as I can… You have my word, just trust me okay?…"

Gohan wasn't normally the gullible type. His predominantly gentle and easy-going nature could be manipulated at times, but this wasn't one of those cases. It was obvious Ryo was just trying to get rid of him. Trying pathetically to ease his mind, and shift his focus back to Buu. Gohan knew deep down that was indeed exactly what he should be doing, concentrating on destroying that bloated freak, but at the moment he'd be quick to dare anyone who might question his actions to put themselves in his position and see if they had the gall to tell him they wouldn't hesitate. Still, Gohan was faced with that same rather dubious decision. He could either concentrate on saving the planet, or he could stand there and watch his friend die. That spur of the moment revelation led to his decisions to humor Ryo's offer. "Okay then Ryo… Just try to stay alive until I get back okay?…"

"I'll give it a shot…" Ryo laughed weakly… At least Gohan assumed it was a laugh. Gohan smiled grimly as he stood up, but found himself forced to turn his head away. He just couldn't look at him anymore. He knew exactly what it felt like to be in that position. So broken and helpless lying there so close to death, that you feel death himself trying to drag you to the other side while you use up the last ounces of strength you have trying to kick him off your ankles. "Just make sure you pop that son of a bitch good for me okay…"

Ryo could sense Gohan smile even through the back of his head. "I'll be sure to do that… I owe him one for Piccolo too…"

"Hey Gohan…"

Gohan forced himself to look down at his friend one last time. Ryo managed a fake smile, using his last ounce of strength to tilt his head upward. Gohan flirted with the thought of chewing him out for it, but held back. "What is it Ryo?…"

"There's just one more thing I wanted to tell you… You know I really think Blonde is a good look for you, but the eyes still kind of freak me out…" Gohan blinked a couple times, startled by what he'd just heard. He wanted to laugh, but under the circumstances just couldn't sum up the will. Instead, he just smirked, allowing Ryo to provide as feeble of a snicker as he could manage. "What are you still waiting for?… You've got a world to save…"

"Wouldn't be the first time… You just hang in there until then okay?…" Gohan didn't bother waiting for a response. With a thunderous burst, he took to the air and headed back towards the battlefield, wanting to get away from that spot as quickly as he could before he changed his mind. He already had a fairly good idea that once he did start to have second thoughts it would already be too late.

After watching Gohan blast off into the distance, Ryo allowed his head to harshly crash back down onto the ground. He did regret having to make a promise to Gohan he knew first hand that he had no intentions of keeping. Not that he wouldn't keep it if he could, but he didn't have much say in the matter. As his last thoughts shifted through all his family and friends, that in his heart he had let down, he still managed to stay true to his character by practically laughing in death's face. 

"Hold on a second… So where's the damn light?!"

----------

Gohan hadn't been airborne more than twenty seconds, when to no surprise he ran into Videl who screeched to a stop once she saw him. Gohan did likewise, so their bodies were floating directly across from each other, though their momentum was carrying them in different directions. "Gohan! There you are! You took off so fast I couldn't catch up with you until now! What's going on?… Did you find Ryo?…"

Gohan's expression fell grim. "Yeah… He's a mess… Buu really laid it into him… It's really easy to tell he's just been playing around with us after seeing what kind of damage he can really do to somebody when he really wants too."

"I was afraid you were going to say that… Where is he?… I'm pretty much useless on the battlefield, so maybe I can make myself useful to somebody…"

Gohan's eyes perked up. "Hey, that's right! Why didn't I think of that?! And to think I was all ready to take him back to the lookout myself! If I have you help him out instead, that way I can get back to fighting Buu and…" 

Gohan's body suddenly tensed up, as a chill ran through his spine. Videl's eyes filled with concern over the sudden change in Gohan's demeanor. Not as adept at sensing Ki as the others were just yet, Videl was at a complete loss for an explanation for his abrupt reaction. "Gohan, is something wrong?… Is it Buu? Ryo or Vegeta maybe? Gohan?! Answer me?!"

Gohan either didn't hear her, or he just chose to ignore her. He wasn't sure why it shocked him like it did, he saw it coming but that didn't make the fact any easier to accept. His hands curled up into fists, as he began to rant. "No, not now!… After we could've… Damn it Ryo, you lied to me! You couldn't have waited just a few more minutes?! I knew I should've stayed! I shouldn't have left him there!"

"Gohan, what's the matter with you?!" Videl yelled into his ear for about the third time. Finally, Gohan seemed to take some notice of her as his head turned so he was facing her. Videl still wasn't sure if he was listening to her or not, but she said her piece regardless. "What do you mean Ryo lied to you?! Did something happen? What's going on?!"

Gohan did hear her this time, but didn't exactly give her a direct answer. He just continued to spout off, his words seemingly more directed towards the wind than to her. "I just left him there, and let him die… I could've… I… I…"

Videl's heart fluttered at the mention of the word 'die'. While no names where mentioned, Videl was smart enough to put two and two together. Already having feared the worst, she composed herself and put her hand on Gohan's shoulder. "Gohan… I don't know what happened, but it's okay… I'm sure…"

"No, it's not okay!" Gohan barked, tarring his shoulder away from her hand. It wasn't out of a flash of anger towards her or anything of that nature, he simply didn't want her to be in the immediate path of what was to come next. Videl watched in shock as Gohan's body began to tremble as his Ki spiked, exerting a heavy boom of energy. Videl was forced to shield her eyes, and hovered back a few yards while Gohan's power level continued to raise. "This is insane! First my mother, then Piccolo, and now this… I'm not going to stand for it anymore! I'm tired of watching the people I care about get trampled over every time some psychopath bent on destroying the universe pokes his ugly face into the picture! If Buu thinks he's going to walk all over me, he's got another thing coming! One way or another, this ends right now!"

Videl hovered there, completely at a loss watching the man she loved, someone normally so reserved and gentle, but right now look ready to kill. While a part of her was frightened by this, guiltily her more aggressive and sometimes violent nature was a bit turned on by it. Either way, all she could manage to say was… "Damn…"

Gohan abruptly calmed, and turned to face Videl. He reached out and grabbed her by the arms, peering directly into the eyes of the awestruck girl. "Videl please listen to me… I want you to go back to Dende's lookout, and wait there okay… I'm sorry, you've come a long way, but I'm afraid Buu is still way out of your league. I don't want to see happen to you what happened to Piccolo and Ryo! I might go do something stupid like blowing up half the planet if that happened, so please just go back to the lookout?! I don't want to see you get hurt…"

As expected, Gohan could tell just by the frown creasing across her face that she didn't like what he was requesting. "I see… So, I'm just in your way now am I? I guess I have been just one big burden throughout this entire ordeal haven't I?…"

"I'm sorry but yes… At least partly. You haven't really been in the way until now… Because I'm going to pull out everything I possibly can to destroy that fat bastard, and I don't want you to get caught up in the crossfire! Think about it Videl! You didn't have to see what he did to Ryo… If that blast could do that to him, just think of what would happen to you if you got hit with a similar attack! There wouldn't be enough left of you to even bury… And just for the record you never were a burden. You mean the world to me Videl, and though I hate to say this, I might be lovesick enough to put you in front of the planet's well being if I saw you in mortal danger… Please understand, I can't allow that to happen!"

Videl still didn't look happy, but she didn't persist to argue. Instead, she lowered her head dejectedly neither agreeing nor disagreeing with his demand. With a sigh, Gohan tilted her chin back upward. Videl scowled, and tried to resist at first, but Gohan insisted and forced his lips onto hers. Videl squirmed a bit before giving in, and leaning into the kiss. It was all too short, but they both understood that every second wasted was one second closer to total Armageddon. "Remember, I love you Videl… Even though I know I can fix everything with the Dragon Balls, that still doesn't make it any easier to watch someone you love die… No matter how many times you have to live through it."

Once again, Videl said nothing. Gohan nodded his head to her, and quickly took off towards the battlefield and Buu. Knowing Videl, he wasn't sure if she'd honor his request or not. Still, he should've known her well enough to know the answer was no. "I'm sorry Gohan, but I've never run away from a fight before… If you think I'm just going to hide out on some Guardians glorified dreidel, and worry about what's happening to you then you have another thing coming!"

Charging up her Ki, Videl looked behind her briefly. "Ryo you idiot… You were supposed to pull through with the rest of us… I'll have to remember to beat the hell out of you the next time I see you… Sayonara Ryo-Kun…" With a tear in her eye, Videl flew off after Gohan.

********

Gohan arrived back at the battle sight to find Vegeta locked in yet another vicious assault against Buu. Gohan wondered to himself, if Vegeta thought he'd been abandon or something, but knowing Vegeta Gohan figured he probably could've cared less, and possibly preferred it. Either way, battling Buu one on one wasn't getting Vegeta anywhere. Gohan arrived at the scene just in time to watch Buu swat Vegeta out of the sky, sending him crashing to the ground with a thunderous slam. Buu peered downward and snickered, only for his head to jerk upward upon sensing Gohan's presence. He didn't appear overly thrilled at first, but his usual smile quickly found his fat lips. Something seemed different about the young Sayain at first, but upon closer inspection decided the boy still wasn't a real threat to him. "You look funny? You want play some more?"

"Do I want to?…" Gohan grumbled, but only for a moment before an ill-boding smile formed over Gohan's lips, one to match even Buu's. "So… You still think this is all one big game don't you? We're nothing more than a bunch of living playthings to you aren't we? When you get tired of us you think you can just snap our heads off and toss us aside like pieces of garbage! Well, I've got news for you Buu! Play time is over!" Gohan snorted with a flare of his Ki.

Buu applauded Gohan's power surge. "Ewe… Pretty!"

"Applaud this fat boy!" Gohan growled before dropping down on Buu like a torpedo. His fist exploded into Buu's gut, followed by a series of damaging punches to every region of Buu's body. One final right hook that connected with the center of Buu's face sent him plummeting towards the Earth. Buu's body spun a few rotations before it managed to stop himself right before he could crash into a small rock surface near the ground. This also left him no time whatsoever to dodge when a fast approaching Kamahemaha wave sped into him, blasting him into the rock anyway, completely decimating the small cliff with a devastating combination of the after-blast of the Kamahemaha wave and Buu's ass. Buu quickly jumped back up, none the worse for wear, though not overly amused either. "Hey you! That hurt Buu!"

"And what do think I've been trying to do?! That's the entire point!" Gohan barked, as he sped towards Buu. "And here I thought you liked to play rough!"

Apparently, Buu was no longer in the mood to play the role of the open target, and casually sidestepped the antsy Sayian as he followed through. Undeterred, Gohan reached upward and grabbed hold of Buu's long antenna of flab, giving it an aggressive tug. Gohan pulled the monsters head towards him, and decked him square in the face following up with a series of rapid one-handed jabs. Seemingly growing tired of this, Buu drove his knee forward into Gohan's sternum. Grimacing, Gohan rocked backwards, losing his grip on Buu's flab extension. Buu took full advantage and drove him back down into the ruble Buu had created just moments ago. Much like Buu, however, Gohan immediately bounced right back up and assaulted Buu, reverting the monster back into the role of a punching bag. Making little effort to defend himself, Gohan was still left to wonder if he was doing damage to Buu or not.

Videl jetted back to the battle scene as fast as her body would take her. She was well aware that Gohan most likely wouldn't like it, but his approval over her actions was the last thing she was concerned with at the moment. Upon arrival, she was surprised to see Gohan in the middle of a fist fight with Majin Buu, not surprised that they were fighting, but by the fact that Gohan appeared to have the upper hand for the time being. Looks could be deceiving however. On several occasions through the fight with Buu, one of them appeared to have the upper hand when Buu would suddenly pop right back up like one of those clay targets at a kiddy arcade that are timed to sit up a few seconds after being knocked down. Videl stayed low to the ground, and even landed for a short while trying to stay out of the view of the two combatants. Once again, she didn't really understand the total concept with Ki detection just yet. A few seconds after touching her feet to the ground, as expected Buu did his little pop back into shape act and started knocking Gohan backwards again. With a scowl, Videl charged up her Ki and intended to zip over there to help him when she felt something grab onto her leg, and pull her back down towards the ground.

"Hey, what's the big idea?!" Videl barked at Vegeta as he let go of her leg. Hoping he had a good reason, Videl landed next to him and waited to hear said reason.

"To keep your head from being blown off, what do you think you stupid girl?! Do you want to end up like your friend?!"

Taken back, Videl's mouth opened, but nothing came out at first. She closed her jaw, and then muttered. "How did you know about that?…"

Vegeta said nothing at first, but finally grunted and said. "… I felt his energy fade out some time ago… Don't dwell on that too much though, for I doubt you friend's death was in vain as you can see."

Videl frowned and snorted. "Oh really?! And how do you figure that?!"

"First of all, don't look at me stupid girl, look at your boyfriend up there!" Vegeta grabbed Videl by the arm, and forced her to look up towards where Buu and Gohan were fighting. Once again, Gohan looked to be pounding the living hell out of Buu, but also once again, that hadn't meant a damn thing in the past. "As you can see the tide of the battle appears to be shifting…"

"I'd be daring to hope right now… What's so different that Gohan seems to be at least fighting toe to toe with Buu right now?"

"Because he's angry. Buu's killed his friend and his sergeant father all in the span of a few hours. For whatever reason, the boy seems able to take his power up to a higher level when he gets really angry… The boy's so calm, and disgustingly gentle the majority of the time that he doesn't lose his temper easily. It takes a lot to force him over the edge. In fact, I've only known him to reach that level once in his lifetime…"

"When was that?" Vegeta gave Videl a glare letting her know just how stupid that question sounded to him. Videl seemed to understand, and answered her own inquiry. "Oh, you must mean when he fought with Cell…"

Vegeta nodded his head once in conformation. "He doesn't seem to be anywhere near that level yet however… He's not angry enough quite yet… He's just working off of pure adrenaline. The second the momentum turns in the favor of Buu, that's all going to fade and Gohan will be right back where he started."

"I see…" Videl said, her eyes still focused on the battle at hand.

Gohan sensed Videl's arrival, and he would've been lying if he said he was surprised. He couldn't waste time worrying about her right now though. He had to focus all of his energy and attention on Buu. Gohan levied another hard left hook to Buu, and once again the fat blob looked like a gouged glob of playdo. Once again however, Buu staggered backward a step or two before blowing himself back into shape, ever present shit-eating grin plastered over his face. Wearing a frustrated scowl, Gohan charged up his Ki in a show of aggression. "Damn you! All that and you still want to smirk at me like that! In case you haven't noticed, I'm not playing around! Why don't you try fighting me for real?!"

Buu laughed softly, but the smirk didn't last. An angry glare took it's place, hinting to Gohan that his attacks at the very least were hurting Buu enough to piss him off. Either that, or he was just getting upset that one of his toys was starting to get an attitude with him. "You want fight Buu! Fine then, Buu fight you for real!"

"Fine, that's just the way I want it!" Gohan sneered, at the moment thinking that was what he wanted. His fist flew forward, but Buu's hand quickly shot up and stopped Gohan's fist cold. Gohan found he couldn't move Buu's hand back an inch as it quivered within his grasp. Buu's glare now formed into a sinister grin, before he cut loose on Gohan giving the young Sayian the same treatment the Z-fighters had been giving Buu since his rebirth. Buu unleashed a series of at least two dozen punches and a couple slaps and backhands, the last punch being the most devastating as it sent Gohan hurdling back towards the Earth. Gohan's impact was comparable to that of a small meteor crashing into the Earth, creating a small crater in his wake, and shaking the ground around him. 

"Gohan!" Videl tried to fly out to him, but once again Vegeta held her back. 

"Stay back stupid girl! You'll just get in his way!"

"So, I've been told before!" Videl snorted. She intended to ignore Vegeta and disobey, but by the time she turned around Gohan had already picked himself up and had gone after Buu again.

"He doesn't have near enough power to defeat that fat freak yet," Vegeta grumbled. "He's just wasting his energy."

"What can we do then, besides just standing here I mean?! How can we make Gohan angry enough to bring out his full power?"  


"How should I know?! The only thing I know of for sure that makes him angry is when one of his friends is…" Vegeta paused, and looked over at Videl with thoughtful eyes.

Noticing Vegeta's gaze was directed on her, Videl had to inquire about it. "What are you looking at me like that for?"

"Oh, it's nothing…" Vegeta turned his head to the side, and began grumbling to himself. _Come on, what is wrong with me?! A few years ago I wouldn't have hesitated to do this, but now… I've been hanging around this planet with these sentimental humans for too long… I've gotten weak, have I really forgotten all my Sayian instincts so easily? Damn it, I guess I might as well ask the brat!_

"There has to be something…" Videl murmured again, looking thoughtful.

"Look girl, are you truly serious about helping Gohan?" Vegeta asked her, surprisingly soft in tone.

"Of course I'm serious!"

"And you're willing to do whatever it takes?… No matter the cost?"

"Of course, that's the way I've always been! The risk doesn't matter to me! I'm willing to die to protect this planet if that's what it takes, and I'd give my life for Gohan too if I had to! Just tell me what you have in mind, and I'll give it a try!"

A few years prior and Vegeta might've smirked at her comment. At this point in his life however, all he felt was a grim sense of irony. "Try to remember that… Listen close girl, because I don't say this too often… And it's something you'll probably never hear me say again…"

"And what is that?"

Vegeta hesitated. "… I'm sorry… For this!"

Videl look confused up until the point when Vegeta grabbed hold of her arm, causing her eyes to go wide. "Vegeta! What the hell are you do… AHH!"

Buu and Gohan's battle had inched its way towards the ground, so that's where Vegeta aimed as he flung Videl out into the fray. There wasn't anything Videl could do but scream, eventually forcing Buu and Gohan apart as she split the small gap in-between the two of them. 

"Ah, Videl! What the hell are you doing?! Have you gone crazy?!"

Videl managed to gain control of her momentum, and forced herself to a stop a good fifty yards away from where she'd split the small gap between Buu and Gohan. "Damn Vegeta, what the hell was that all about?! What good was throwing me at Buu supposed to accomplish?! Your aim wasn't even any good!"

Apparently, Buu didn't care for the girl's interruption of his playtime. As with all the other toys he grew tired of, Buu decided to simply get rid of her. Buu summoned up a small ball of Ki, small for him anyway, and extend his arm forward.

"Hey, what are you… NO!" Dreading that he knew what Buu was planning, Gohan reached his arm out to stop him but Buu's blast had already left his hand. Videl barely had time to blink before feeling something warm and eerily liquid-like in substance crash into her stomach, rip through her insides, and eventually explode outward through her back. With the base of her spine blown away in the process, at least very little pain could be felt from the experience. Not that she had much time to feel any, for the entire world around her seemed to freeze, and a second or so later everything went black. Four feet or so off the ground already, she dropped the rest of the way, falling flat on her back. 

Gohan couldn't manage so much as to squeak out his lover's name, as he just stood there with his mouth agape in total disbelief. His world didn't freeze, but it did fall into a painstakingly long period of extreme slow motion only serving to prolong the agony now pressing against his chest. He could see daylight through the hole in her lower torso it was cut so cleanly. An eternity seemed to pass as he found himself forced to watch her eyes roll to the back of her head, before she slumped lifelessly to the ground. There wasn't even any point in rushing over to her. She was undoubtedly dead before she hit the ground. 

Buu snickered as if entertained by his latest victim's demise. He turned his attention back towards Gohan who has still frozen in shock, staring at the fallen girl. "Hmm… Buu make mess. That good one huh?"

The world seemed to shift back into real time, once Videl's back hit the dirt. Hearing Buu's utterly stupid remark, Gohan's head shifted slowly towards him the same stunned and empty expression covering his face. The only exception was his eyes, which held something meaningful and distressing enough that it caused Buu to flinch. So did Vegeta, remembering seeing that look in the boy's eyes in the past. With an eerie silence blanketing the scene, as he listened closely the Sayian Prince could swear he heard Gohan snap.

End.

Okay, okay, everybody, now take a deep breath and calm down. I just like to request of everyone not to resort to death threats, or childish name-calling like I've noticed some reviewers tend to do when something like this happens in these types of stories. If you absolutely must, at least please keep it respectful. I warned you something was going to happen ya'll wouldn't like in the last chapter. Normally, I wouldn't explain myself like this, but I know I'll probably get some comments about Vegeta's actions towards the end. I know it's debatable whether or not he'd do something so extreme, but in my honest opinion I don't think it's that far out of the realm of believability. I have a harder time seeing him actually apologizing for something he was about to do, rather than him actually doing it. I apologize to any of his fans who might be offended, but that's the route I decided to take. (By the way, I am purposely being vague in this note for all of you sneaks who read the author's notes first to find out what happens in the actual chapter itself. Shame on you… I know you're out there because I'm… Well… Guilty…)

I hate to break this to you guys, but the next chapter just might be the last. There may be two more depending on how long it runs. Now everybody take a guess, and say how it's going to start off.


	26. Chapter 26

  


-I have no idea just how Buu manages to regenerate himself, so I made something up. Buu's body chemistry will be a little different from what it was in the original series for the purpose of moving this story along.

  


-I'd like to apologize beforehand for any inconsistences with the formatting of this chapter. It's a bit of a long irritating story. You see, recently my mother decided to buy a new computer for the living room recently, and decided to switch the internet exclusively to her computer. So now, whenever I want to update, I have to transfer my files onto this computer to post them. While that might not sound like too difficult, I didn't think it would be at first either, I was shocked to discover all the problems this stupid piece of crap was going to present me. For one, the stupid CD drives are written on different programs for whatever reason, so all my CD saved files are useless with this computer, not that it matters since this new computer doesn't have a normal Word Processor, so it won't recognize saved Word files anyhow. On top of that, the new processing system doesn't allow the option to save files as HTML, which the first 25 chapters were posted in, so I was forced to transfer the files as a txt. document, which of course scrambles all the paragraph formatting, and for whatever insane reason undid almost half of my punctuation. I've gone over this chapter three more times, and I believe I've managed to correct most of the spacing and punctuation problems that this new system has presented. If you happen to see any paragraphs spaced where they shouldn't be, or any missing periods or question marks, that's the reason for it and I apologize for it. I tried my best to fix the formatting jumble, but I doubt I was able to fix everything. Until I can afford to split the internet back onto my computer, or until we enroll this computer into rehab to get it off whatever illegal narcotics it's on than I'm afraid this is going to be a persistent problem for me whenever I update. If you'll excuse, I'm going to crawl into the corner and cry now... Hope you enjoy the conclusion!

  
  


-Smooster: Actually, there's a simple enough answer for that. The spaceship wasn't actually in space, it was hoovering in the Earth's atmosphere. The little bubble-elevator thingy was basically for convenience and show. Pirates just love to show off.

  
  
  
  
  


Chapter 26

  
  


Gohan's expression had changed little throughout the brief thirty-second stare-down he had with Buu after the world screeched to a sudden halt. It took that long merely for what happened to completely process in Gohan's head. Videl was dead The fat son of a bitch staring back at him was the one who killed her. That constituted basically everything running through his head at the moment. That's all he needed to know.

  


Buu was a tad curious as to the reasoning for Gohan's reaction. This was all in good fun after all, so why did he seem so upset? Buu cared for all of about ten seconds before his thoughts shifted onto exactly how he was going to dispose of his current plaything once it out lived it's entertainment value. He was still curious as to why the boy was shaking, pretty much assuming that the young Sayian was terrified after seeing what Buu did to his other toy. "Why you shaking? You that scared of Buu?"

If Buu knew how to use the other half of his brain he would've been able to analyze that it wasn't fear in Gohan's eyes, but something else entirely. All of Gohan's faculties finally appeared to fall back into working order at that moment, while he felt something in him stir. "Afraid of you? You're the one who should be afraid!" Gohan's voice echoed as his power surged, releasing an explosion of energy. Buu's flab waved in the wind, as he struggled to maintain his position without being blown away. Vegeta shielded his eyes from the piercing light, dropping to a knee as he too struggled to maintain his footing. As the power surge faded, Vegeta stood up and gaped up at Gohan.

"Son of a Namek, I think it might've worked..."

  


"Uh-oh..." Buu stammered with confused eyes as he stared over at Gohan. The boy didn't look much different except for the fact that he now resembled a starving wolf ready to rip apart a dying caribou.

  


"Buu, You're dead!" Gohan growled, before laying into Buu. The monster wasn't simply allowing Gohan to hit him this time, he wouldn't of had time to move if he had wanted to. Gohan continued to pasteurize the creature with his fists until reducing him into what looked like a clod of pink mashed potatoes. Gohan pulled his arm back, putting a little extra on his next blow as he sent Buu's mangled mass flying. Gohan sped after him, eventually overtaking the flying glob of tenderized fat, and gave him another shot to the back, jerking his head to the side to prevent the keeling flab of pink goo from slapping him in the face as the ball of Buu folded over. Gohan hovered just above Buu, and nailed him over the top of the head sending him speeding towards the ground. The energized Half-Sayian wasted no time charging up, with full intentions of finishing the monster off. "Kamehameha!"

The wave of energy enveloped Buu before either hit the ground, and exploded on contact. When the smoke cleared, all that was left of the bloated fiend was a gassy cloud of pink puss floating just a few feet above the ground. Vegeta stared at the scene in awe at how aggressively and precise Gohan went about his work. Maybe his eyes were deceiving him, but for a moment he thought he saw an actual glimpse of a Sayian warrior in someone who was normally a painfully human teenaged boy. "It can't be over already can it? I don't like the feel of this."

  


Gohan didn't either at first. He floated down towards the swirling cloud of pus to make sure the monster was really defeated. Feeling no signs of energy from the beast, Gohan assumed the battle was over with. He snorted, and turned his head away from what was left of Buu. "Humph! Guess you got what you deserved Huh?"

  


Gohan's ears perked up as he heard something rustling just below him. His eyes widened when he realized it was Buu's remains. They began to wiggle around, obviously doing more than simply being blown by the wind, and eventually the pink fat particles began to merge back together. Gohan gaped, as within a few seconds Buu had molded himself into a thick straight line, and nearly screamed when Buu's snickering head popped out of the top and stuck his tongue out at him. 

  


"Why you!..." Gohan reared his fist back, but before he could throw a punch, Buu slung two lassoes' of flab that wrapped themselves around Gohan's body. One rope wrapped firmly around his waist, and the other was constricting the use of one of his arms as it trapped his fist near the base of his chin.

  


"Damn it, let me go!" Gohan demanded, but Buu only tightened his grip. Gohan attempted to use his free hand to punch himself free, but it was to no avail. He might've been doomed to strangulation if it hadn't been for the familiar grunt he heard at his back, and all of the sudden Buu released his hold on him, seemingly being ripped right off of him. As it turned out Buu had been, for once Gohan turned around saw that Vegeta had socked Buu in the face knocking him right off of Gohan. The young Demi-Sayian took a second to catch his breath, and quickly moved to help Vegeta as they both united to pound on Buu before he had the chance to form back into his full shape. Once he was yet again reduced to an overgrown wad of chewed bubble-gum, the Sayians drifted back a few feet, and started to blast the monster fully intending to send him to oblivion. Once again, Buu was completely mangled, twisted, and bludgeon in every way imaginable. They both waited a few seconds, and once again grimaced in frustration when Buu began to pull himself back together.

  


"Damn it! Would that thing just die already?!" Vegeta bellowed, as he rushed in to disrupt Buu's regeneration process.

  


"How do you kill something that can reform no matter how much you pound on him?... There has to be some reason behind it " Gohan sighed, as he looked over and noticed Vegeta had gotten himself tangled up in Buu similar to how Gohan had been tied up earlier. That was a riddle he needed to solve, and soon.

  


********

  


From high above the Earth, four pairs of eyes peered down upon the planet anxiously. The two elder statesmen's still present on the lookout were a bit more worried than the two younger more impatient children sitting near the edge of the lookout. Three large power sources had already disappeared over the course of the past hour, which could only mean one of two things. They were either dead, are so badly injured that their life force was too weak to be sensed. Either way, the results boded ill for the fate of the Earth.

  


"This is really bad Dende. I can't sense Ryo, Videl, or the Supreme Kai anymore... What the hell is going on down there?! If something happens to Vegeta and Gohan then the entire planet is as good as toast! What are we going to do?!"

  


"The only thing we can do Krillen..." Dende sighed. "If worse comes to worst, we'll just have to pick up were the other's left off."

  


Krillen's face bulged in horror. You all know the look. "Wha, wha, wha, what?! You've gotta be kidding?! Us fight Buu?! If the others couldn't stop that thing, than what chance in hell would we have?!"

  


"None whatsoever, but what choice do we have? If we're the Earth's last line of defense then... What else would you have us do? Hide up here while Buu reduces the planet to rubble?"

  


"Sounds pretty sensible to me."

  


"This isn't about what's sensible or not!" Dende argued. "Look, I'm not a fighter by any means of the word, but I'm willing to try at least. If we all have to go, we might as well go down fighting. That's your home down there incase you've forgotten, so the least you can do!"

  


"Alright, alright, I get the picture! No need for the guilt trip, " Krillen chuckled slightly. "I guess it's just the morbid fear of being dismembered and mutilated that kind works over you self-confidence ya know... You know, you'd think you'd get used to dying after the fist couple of times, but oddly enough it doesn't get any easier."

  


Dende smirked in amusement. "I know what you mean Krillen, I've been there too you know."

Goten and Trunks overheard bits and pieces of their elder's conversation, in particular the more important topics of conversation. Goten looked worriedly at his friend. "Did you hear that Trunks? What do you think Krillen and Dende meant when they said they couldn't sense Videl and Ryo anymore?"

  


"I'm not sure, but I don't think it's anything good..." Trunks looked out over the lookout, dangling his legs over the ledge. 

  


"I wish they'd let us help them!" Goten whined. "They probably could use some help by now if they haven't been able to beat Buu yet."

  


"Tell me about it..." Trunks grumbled, as he flipped his head upward. His eyes abruptly widened, as if the answer to all his problems was written in the sky above. "Then again, who says we can't help out?"

  


"Everybody duh! Like Krillen, and your dad, and Gohan..."

  


"It was a rhetorical question dummy!... Whatever that means. Think about it Goten. Is there really any reason for us to listen?" Trunks looked back at Dende and Krillen prompting Goten to do the same. "Those two aren't paying all that much attention to us right now... Besides, if the situation down there has gotten as bad as it sounds, then they probably need our help, so nobody really should mind all that much if we disobey. I'm sure we'll get off easy after we help save the world and all."

  
  


"But do you think they'll let us leave if we ask?" Goten asked, referring to Krillen and Dende.

  


Trunks smiled mischievously. "Who said anything about asking?"

  


"Huh?"

"Really Dende, I think you've got a serious death wish developing there..." Krillen stopped in mid-sentence as he felt Trunks and Goten power up, and once he turned around saw Goten and Trunks flee from the lookout. "Speaking of death wishes, what are you kids doing?! Get back here!"

  


Dende panicked as well. "Quick, we've got to go after them! If something happens to them, and Buu doesn't kill us first than Gohan and Vegeta will!"

  


********

  


Growing up, Videl never really had and sort of picture of what death would feel like. She felt she was better off not thinking about stuff like that, but like most people, from time to time she would give the subject a second thought. Was it total oblivion? Once your body goes, does the rest of you fade away along with it into the background of time, destined to be forgotten and never to rise again? Or perhaps maybe everyone did have an immortal soul that leaves the body once their time on this plain was through, set to float off to a better place, or quite possibly a not so good place. Videl didn't really have any set beliefs in one form or the other, but left herself open and prepared for either possibility. She was, however, definitely not expecting this. That she'd be standing in the middle of some grassy field with some short blue-skinned guy that looked resembled a giant fish and told really bad jokes, and odder yet her boyfriends dead father who'd been that way for the better part of seven years. Needless to say, most of Goku's explanation as to what was going on went straight over her head.

  


"Well, this isn't exactly what I expected..." Ryo commented, as he played with his halo. "I sure don't feel dead... Gees, how does that thing hang up there like that? I can't even budge it!"

  


"Trust me guys. You're both dead as doornails!" Goku confirmed for them, sounding oddly cheerful for the situation. "Hey, how else could you be up here talking to me?"

  


"Look, I'm not arguing the point that I'm dead," Videl said, as she felt up her arm. "It's just that, when I died I always expected to be a little more transparent if you know what I mean."

  


"Well no..." Goku murmured, before his slow wit finally picked up on what she was getting at. "Oh, I get it now! Sometimes I tend to forget that it isn't normal for someone to keep their body after they die. Myself for example, got to keep my body because of all my past good deeds I guess you can say."

  


"But, why do we still have our bodies then?"

  


"Why, that's a simple question once you think about it my dear," a squeaky voice said, drawing the attention of the two youths. A short pudgy man, who Goku had introduced to them earlier as King Kai, walked up next to him. "All those years of service you put into defending your home town, and all before you were even legal. I understand how that might not seem like much in the grand scheme of things, but we notice those sort of things up here. Not to mention that you died in defense of your home planet. I can't promise that all that qualifies for permanent residence here, but in the least it qualifies you for a guided tour."

  


"Kind of seems like a big tease if you ask me," Videl muffed, crossing her arms against her chest.

  


The Kai laughed, and coughed into his hand. "In a way maybe, but I had other reasons for bringing you two here." 

  


"Oh, and what might those be?" Videl asked skeptically.

  


"Yes, of course, but I think I'll allow Goku to field that question," the Kai quickly stepped out of the picture leaving Goku high and dry.

  


"What, why me?!" Goku complained at first, but once he thought about it couldn't find any reason not to. "I guess I can handle that. I don't see what the big deal is though. You see guys, we need to form a bit of a contingency plan based completely on the assumption that Gohan and Vegeta are going to defeat Buu. Just to be prepared when it does happen, we would be better off if we had the dragon balls ready to go incase something unfortunate happens down on Earth. We were kind wondering if you guys would mind gathering them up for us."

  


Ryo and Videl both looked at the other considering what Goku had just asked them, then looked back at Goku before Ryo sputtered out. "Well Goku, the truth is that we'd love to help out under normal circumstances, but I'm sure you've noticed that we're not quite in a position to fulfill that request at the moment."

  


"Oh, just come out and say it already! We're dead! We might have our bodies, but we just can't waltz back over to Earth like we're crossing the street or something!" Videl took a break from her little rant, and asked inquisitively. "Can we?"

  


"Well, not normally, but in this case I don't think we have any other choice," the short Kai said before barking out. "Hey Baba! We're ready!"

  


"Baba?..." Videl murmured, before her eyes bugled out when she saw the gnomish looking woman float onto the scene on top of a crystal ball.

  


"Yeah, I'm here, I'm here, don't get your bloomers in a wad," Baba huffed, as she came to a stop next to Goku..

  


"Bloomers in a... What are you talking about Baba?! For your information, I don't even wear underwear!" The Kai sweat dropped after everyone present cringed, and stared at him oddly. "What I mean is that I don't have the need to I mean What the heck am I doing?! I'm a Kai, I don't have to explain myself to any of you!"

  
  


Ignoring King Kai's rant, Baba glanced over at Videl who she'd noticed had been staring at her rather peculiarly. "Is something the matter girl?"

  


"What?! Oh nothing..." Videl blushed, and looked up at Ryo. Ryo just shrugged his shoulders and commented. 

  


"Ah, I've seen weirder. So, what exactly do you want us to do?"

  


"You two don't have to do anything yourselves other than stand around and look pretty," Baba began to explain. "I'm going to temporally transport the two of you back to Earth, just long enough to begin your search for those Dragon Balls."

  
  


"I see... So how long exactly do we have?" Ryo asked.

  


"About an hour give or take," Baba replied calmly. Ryo and Videl didn't respond as collectively, as their faces faulted at the mention of the miniscule window of time they'd just been given. 

  


"An hour?!" Ryo yelped. "We'll be lucky to find one in that amount of time! How the hell do you expect us to find all seven?!"

  


"That's your problem, you figure it out!" Baba's head enlarged as she shrieked out her reply, knocking the two youngsters back. "Be grateful you have that much time to work with?! What do you want from me anyway?! This is a gift you're supposed to build up over time, and you kids haven't even been dead an hour yet! I'm not running a rent-a-life service here you know?! Once your dead, you're supposed to stay dead! And hour is all can I offer, so take it or leave it!"

  


"Whoa, ease up there Baba!" Goku stepped in between Baba and the two teenagers, and smiled at them sheepishly. "Listen guys, I know that's not an awful lot of time, but we don't actually expect you to find all the Dragon Balls in an hour. An hour should be plenty of time to get in touch with Krillen and the others though, so than they can finish up where you two started. You guys just basically need to do what you have to do with what little time you have to do it... If that makes any sense anyway."

  


"We've tried to get through to them telepathically, but it's been no use," the Kai added. "I'm not sure if it's due to the evil aurora Buu's giving off or what, but something's blocking me from being able to contact them. Otherwise, more than likely we wouldn't be asking the two of you to do this. Don't get me wrong now, this isn't a completely safe process. If Buu happens to blow up the planet or something while you two are still in the living world, well let's just say if your body is destroyed outside of this plain than you won't have to worry about starching your back or wiping your nose anymore. So with that said, are you two still willing?"

  


Ryo looked thoughtful before creaking his head towards Videl. "I dunno I guess we've earned this, we've been dead a good forty minutes already."

  


Videl snorted. "Long enough for me."

  


"Great! Thanks a lot guys, this is going to be a big help," Goku said, as he started to rub the back of his neck. "I'd go myself, but I just got back from Earth and all, and another trip this soon would kind of be pushing it. Piccolo's already on Namek rounding up the Namekian dragon balls, and if we can gather up the Earth's Dragon balls before Buu tares the planet apart then we'll be all set!"

  


"Hey, I was wondering where Piccolo had gotten off to," Ryo commented, and then looked around the immediate area expecting to sense someone else there. "The Supreme Kai isn't here too is he?" Goku looked confused. "The Supreme Kai? No he's not here as far as we know My only guess is that he's still alive on Earth somewhere."

  


"Can you even kill a Kai?" Videl wondered aloud. Her head jerked around as she heard someone grunt, and saw a rather peeved looking King Kai pointing to the Halo above his head. Videl blushed, and faced her head back towards the front. "Oh right Sorry..."

  


"Yes, old fish face is a little sensitive about being the only Kai to ever actually be seen dead," Baba commented, as she smirked at the old Kai fiendishly. "Like there's any difference anyway. I don't know what he keeps whining about, at least he got a nice shiny ring over his head out of the deal."

  


"Hey, watch it you old witch! It's a matter of pride! You can't imagine what it's like having to deal with the snickering and all the snide comments by the other Kai's... You haven't heard some of the things they've said behind my back All the parties they've thrown for living Kai's only, just to make fun of me! It's enough to drive a person to suicide, but I can't even do that because I'm already dead!" Little water droplets began to spout from the Kai's head as it bobbed and weaved throughout his rant.

  


Ryo kept one eye on the Kai while he snuck up to Baba and asked. "Can we go now?"

  


"Sure kid. Personally, I prefer to be long gone before he gets into his West Kai and the rotting fish story."

  


"And if you thinks all that's bad, it's nothing compared to what West Kai..."

  


Baba grimaced, and quickly gathered Videl and Ryo positioning one to each side of her. "Get moving kids, we're leaving right now!"

  


********

  


Smoke, Ki, and pink flesh spewed everywhere as Buu was struck with another volley of energy blasts. As if the entire scenario was already predetermined, Gohan and Vegeta stood still and waited as Buu's deformed and mutilated body began to pull itself back together. 

  


"This is getting old," Gohan snorted, panting disgustedly. 

  


"You're telling me... Huh?" Vegeta's head jerked to the side, as something caught his attention diverting his focus from Buu. "What the hell?!"

  


Before Gohan could ask Vegeta what the problem was, he sensed it as his attention was too diverted in that direction. "Is that Goten and Trunks?! Why do they feel so close by?!"

  


"Why do you think Baka?! They must've obviously abandon the lookout!" Unfortunately for the Sayians, Buu too sensed several new energies headed his way. For whatever reason these new contestants seemed to interest Buu more than the two toys he was currently playing with. He was a little tired of having his molecules ripped to shreds after-all. Not wanting his other playmates to intervene, or otherwise slip away from him, Buu decided to make sure they stayed put. A small strap of flab began to peel off of his back, unseen to that point by Gohan or Vegeta. They wondered what the beast was up too as he smiled coyly and then reached his arm behind his back. His arm suddenly flew forward wiping out a pink ring of flesh towards the pair of Sayians. They quickly dispersed in an attempt to avoid the projectile, only for it to suddenly expand and ensnare the two of them. They began to fight it off relentlessly, expecting to be swallowed whole, but rather than being engulfed the morphing strip of flesh wrapped around them like a rope, quickly tightening around them. Their backs slammed against one another's, as the lasso tightened around them completely bounding the two warriors together.

  


"What the hell is this?!" Vegeta snarled, as he tried to break his way free.

  


"We're trapped!"

  


"You two stay there, Buu be right back! If you good, but might wait to eat you up!" Buu giggled before leaving the bound Sayians alone

. 

"Shit, he must be going after the kids!" Gohan whaled, as he tried to break his bonds. "We've got to get free!"

  


"How the hell did we let ourselves fall into this anyway?! Damn, what is this crap made of, cement?!"

  
  


"Hey Trunks, do you really know where those guys are at?" Goten asked skeptically. 

  


"Of course I know Goten! Are you telling me that you can't feel where those three huge powers are coming from?! How dense are you anyway? Not only that, but they're like the only other three people on Earth right now besides us, Krillen, and Dende. It's not that hard to figure out who all that energy belongs too either way. Don't worry, just follow me and we'll find them eventually."

  


"If you say so..." Goten said softly, and looked forward for a brief moment before turning back to Trunks. "Umm... Do we really want to find Buu?"

  


Trunks was about to lash out with another snide remark before he thought about the question for a second, and blushed. "Umm... Now that you mention it, I'm not really sure."

  


Too bad for the boys that they wouldn't be granted enough time to finally wise up and change their minds. They both screeched to a mid-air stop, as a large crack of wind and burst of energy nearly blew them backwards. Once the wind eased up, and their eyes got a chance to focus they found themselves faced with the sight of the grotesque blob known mercifully as Majin Buu rather other more appropriate less flattering names. Both boys gaped nervously, as Goten managed to murmur out. "It's Buu!"

  


"But, what's he doing here?!" Trunks overcame his initial shock, and stared demandingly at the monster. "What happened to my dad and Gohan?!"

  


Buu said nothing, only smiling mockingly at the boys. Having enough of this after only a few mere seconds, Trunks balled up his fist and relented. "So, you're just going to float there and look stupid huh?! Well, I'm not going to put up with this! This guy doesn't look so tough! Come on Goten, let's flatten the fat freak!"

  


"Yeah!" Goten agreed, feeling that oh so ignorant rush of youthful adrenalin. The pair attacked Buu aggressively, and appeared to be doing quite well as their little hands and feet disfigured the monster. Ignorant enough to believe they held the upper hand, the boys held up on their assault unable to resist the temptation of rubbing it in Buu's face. 

  


"Ha, is that all you got fat-boy?! And to think the others were worried about us getting hurt! How did you manage to kill all the others anyway! Did you sit on their heads or something?!" With Trunks busy flapping his gums, Buu had plenty of time to take in a deep breath, and suddenly pop himself back into shape causing the boys to shriek with a mix of surprise and disgust. 

  


"Buu no sit on head, but maybe boy have good idea! Maybe try on you! As for other guys, well Buu do this!"

  


Buu raised his arm, and with a chopping motion slapped Trunks right out of the sky. Goten watched in horror as his friend crashed into the ground, and quickly looked back over at Buu and put his arms up as Buu moved to attack him. "Hey wait, time out!"

  


As it went without saying, time was not granted as Buu gave the other mini Super Sayian a whack of his own. Goten plummeted to the ground, crashing next to Trunks. Woozy, both boys struggled to their feet, and grimaced when they saw Buu floating down towards them.

"Argh! Where the hell are they?!" Vegeta growled. He and Gohan had managed to break free of Buu's bonds relatively quick, but now the trick was finding the boys before he did. 

  


"They've got to be around here somewhere... I just hope we find them before Buu does Darn it, it looks like I spoke too soon!" Gohan growled, as Buu and the kids came into his line of sight. "We better hurry!"

"You know Buu, I was just joking around with all the fat cracks you know," Trunks started to beg off from his knees. Goten had just managed to get that far, as he rubbed his head Buu snickered softly, before spiking his energy, effectively scaring the crud out of the two youngsters. Moving as if to attack, the boys braced themselves when a small blur whipped in front of him. 

  


"Back off Buu!" Buu grunted curiously at the little man who'd thrown himself in front of the children. He wasn't much taller than the boys himself, and the second Buu glanced an eye down at him he started to shake as if scared out of his wits.

.

"Krillen... " Goten winced. "What are you doing?!"

  


"I have no idea," Krillen whimpered. "Just stay behind me okay, and at the first chance you get run for it!"

  


"But..."

  


"No buts, just do it okay!"

  


Persisting with an increasingly alarming trend that day, the boys chose not to listen. Whether they were intentionally being defiant, or perhaps just frozen in place, neither boy moved an inch from behind Krillen's back. Krillen didn't have a whole lot of time to insist however, as Buu was staring at him in a rather unsettling way. "Now Buu, I'm sure there's a civilized way we can go about this! I mean without resorting to violence or killing everyone in sight you know?..."

  


"Hum, hum." Buu snickered, by then having inched so close to Krillen that his nose was practically resting in Buu's navel. Krillen closed his eyes, and awaited oblivion. A third tour of other world would have to wait however. Buu's attention was diverted elsewhere namely to Gohan when he locked his arms around Buu's neck and started to lift him up into the air. 

  


Vegeta landed in front of Krillen and the boys, turning his head partial around as he said to them. "Get the boys out of here Krillen! And I don't mean five minutes from now, I mean right now!"

  


"You don't have to tell me twice!" Krillen yelped, and grabbed a boy underneath each arm. They complained briefly at first, but already having one taste of Buu, they didn't protest all that diligently, though they did manage to goad Krillen into letting them fly off on their without being carried. With a burst of energy Krillen and the boy's were off, leaving Vegeta smirking slightly as they left. "Guess the little man has some balls after all." Vegeta's eyes then focused squarely on Buu, a plan formulating in his head. There looked to be only way to put a stop to this floating gastropod. He smirked at the thought of reducing Buu to a permanent vat of silly-putty.

"What's the big idea running out on me like that Buu?!" Gohan snickered callously , as he tried to pull Buu's head off. "I wasn't done with you yet!"

"Buu no done either," he giggled before grabbing hold of Gohan's arm, and giving him one mighty toss towards the ground. Shrieking in surprise, Gohan attempted to stop himself only to be surprised when he felt a strong pair of arms catch him on the way down. Vegeta immediately grunted thereafter and quickly disposed of the load he was holding.

  


"Vegeta! Are Krillen and the boys safe?"

"They're fine!" In no mood for small talk, Vegeta glared at Gohan and said. "You might as well join them if you know what's good for you."

  


"Oh no, we're not having this argument again!" Gohan replied. "I'm not going to let you fight him alone!"

  


"Look, I know what I'm doing boy, so just do what I say!" Vegeta's voice calmed as he continued. "Don't worry, I have a plan. I have reason to believe there might only be one way to destroy this monster, but I have to go about it alone. Just trust me alright, I've had over 20 years more experience at fighting than you boy. You go find those accursed Dragon Balls and leave this to me go it?!"

  


Gohan wasted precious seconds thinking things through, but ultimately came to the right decision. To say he trusted Vegeta totally would be overdoing it, but he did believe Vegeta knew what he was doing. So reluctantly, he gave in for the time being. "Alright then, but what are you planning on doing?"

  


"You'll see soon enough," Vegeta smirked. "Just get as far away as you can as fast as you can. You'll know when it's finished though."

  


Gohan paused another moment before nodding his head towards Vegeta, and obeying his wish. He only prayed Vegeta wasn't planning on doing anything to drastic. Little did Gohan know that Vegeta couldn't get any more drastic than what he was planning. Haven growing tired of the idle chitchat, Buu grumpily shouted out. "You done talking yet! Buu want play some more!"

  


"Oh, you want to play do you?" Vegeta cackled manically, as his energy began to swell. "Well, I've got a new game to introduce you too?! It's called how many pieces will Buu be in after Vegeta blows him into the next dimension!"

  


"Huh? That sound stupid," Buu mumbled, before realizing what the ruthless Super Sayian was implying. "Oh, no think Buu gona like this game..."

  


----------

  


"Where the hell are they?!" Ryo screeched as he and Videl tore through the lookout looking for any sign of Dende or the others. 

  


"I can't find anybody!" Videl announced as she burst through the door of one the rooms, and spilled into the hallway. Ryo put his hands on his head and started to grumble in frustration. "This is just great! We have one hour to remind somebody to find the Dragon Balls in case Buu blows up the planet, and nobody's anywhere to be found! Even Mr. Popo's gone! Where the hell did they go?! They were supposed to stay up here!"

  


"Can't you sense where they went?" 

  


"Yeah, but who knows how long it'll take us to find them. We've only got like forty more minutes!"

  


"Then we better hurry up," Videl smiled confidently. "Don't stress over it so much Ryo. Calm down before you pop a blood vessel or something. The one on your forehead looks like its gona blow at any second."

  


"Yeah, like it makes any difference, I'm already dead!" Ryo grumbled as he and Videl took off from the lookout.

  


********

  


Gohan had elected to trust Vegeta's judgment when the Sayian Prince told Gohan to leave the area. He felt inclined to trust the elder Sayians opinion. Gohan might've defeated Cell, but he was still a preschooler experience wise compared to Vegeta. Still, something about this entire situation didn't sit right with him. He didn't doubt Vegeta knew what he was doing, but there was always a chance that Vegeta's plan might not work. If he left Vegeta alone by himself, and his plan failed, then Vegeta would be a sitting duck one on one with Majin Buu. Well, maybe not a sitting duck, but the odds certainly wouldn't be in the prince's favor. Faced with this new revelation, Gohan decided to go halfway. In other words, distance himself just as Vegeta had asked, but kept close enough to the battle sight so that he could quickly get back if he felt something was amidst. He wouldn't get the chance to put that plan into motion however, for as soon as he decided on his course of action, he found out just what Vegeta's plan had been. He felt it, heard it, and eventually saw the aftermath of the huge explosion originating from somewhere in the distance. Gohan only needed one guess as to where. Gohan shielded his eyes from the blinding light, as he was blown back a few feet by the intense power surge. Once the energy waves had swept passed him a few moments later, Gohan straightened himself out and stared off into the horizon with concern. 

  


"What the hell was that?! I doubt anything could've survived a blast like that powerful... Vegeta, tell me you weren't responsible for that..." Fearing the worst, Gohan headed back towards the battlefield.

  


********

  


"What was that?!" Goten yelped, looking behind him after a monstrous blast lit up the sky.

  


"I'm not sure I even want to speculate," Krillen murmured quietly, as they continued towards the lookout. 

  


While his companions were content to wonder, Dende already had an ominous idea as to what had happened. He checked soon after the explosion, and noticed that he could no longer sense Vegeta's presence. He kept this information from the others for the time being, not wanting to panic them, Trunks in particular. Things certainly weren't looking good. If that blast hadn't taken Buu along with Vegeta, then that meant that Gohan was the only thing left standing in the way of Buu and total annihilation of Earth along with the human race. Except of course from himself, Krillen, and the boys Like he thought before, total annihilation of Earth and the human race.

  


"What the heck is that?!" Krillen yelped, and screeched to a mid-air halt, prompting his three travel companions to do the same. 

  


"What the heck is wrong with you?! What are we stopping for?" Trunks asked sounding irritated.

  


"Somebody's coming this way... Two somebody's actually!"

  


"He's right!" Dende concurred. "They're strong too..."

  


"But I thought everyone else on the planet was supposed to be dead!" Trunks argued.

  


"They are..." Dende appeared thoughtful. "Unless we missed somebody... Though I don't see how."

  


Using his sharp Demi-Sayian eyes, Goten peered into the distance to see if he could get a clear picture of the pair of dots approaching him. Goten smiled as two familiar faces came into view. "Hey guys! It's Ryo and Videl!"

  


"What, it can't be?!" Krillen babbled, before realizing that he wasn't sure if Trunks and Goten knew what had happened to them or not. "I mean, that's impossible guys... You see Ryo, and Videl have well... You know."

  


"You mean they're supposed to be dead right?" Trunks said bluntly.

  
  


Krillen flustered, then submitted. "Well yeah, if you want to come right out and say it like that."

  


"But guys, I'm telling you it's them! Look for yourselves!"

  


"Hey, it is them!" Trunks confirmed after taking a good look of his own. It took Krillen and Dende a littler longer to make them out, but soon enough the pair came into view, Ryo waving to them.

  


"What in the?! Holy crap, it is them!" The quartet raced over to their rediscovered friends, and the two groups met half way. Krillen screeched to a stop, and automatically assumed. "I can't believe it! You two are alive! I thought you guys were dead for sure!" Krillen paused as his eyes focused in on the pair of halos above their heads. "Oh, Um... Never mind then..."

  


Ryo smirked sheepishly, and scratched at his temple. "Yeah, we're dead, but there's no time to explain right now. We need to gather up the Dragon Balls, and get them to the lookout quick just incase Buu, Gohan, and Vegeta rip the planet to shreds in the process of trying to do the same to each other."

  


"Good idea, why didn't we think of that?" Krillen laughed, and looked down at Trunks. "You think you can dig up a radar back at your house Trunks?"

  


"Yeah, if any of 'em are still in one piece."

  


"Well, we better start looking, because we've got no idea how much, or possibly how little time we have," Dende said. 

  


"Well, we've only got another half an hour before we get kicked out of here, so you guys are going to be on your own."

  


"Understood. So, what are we waiting around for? Let's get to Capsule Corp!" Krillen yelped, before starting off towards Central City, the rest of group quickly following his lead. Soon after taking off, Goten took a close look at Ryo and Videl.

  


"Hey, you guys got a ring over your head like my dad does!"

  


Ryo looked at the boy and blushed, grinning slightly. "My, you're an observant one aren't you? I tend to forget it's up there sometimes."

  


"Those look cool, can I get one too?"

  


"Ah, hah, ha..." Ryo stammered, unsure of how to answer at first. "Sure thing kid, but hopefully it'll take you about eighty to ninety years to earn one."

  


Goten appeared confused at first, but his trademark playful smile followed soon after. "Okay. He, he..."

  


********

  


Gohan wasn't sure what to expect once he arrived at the battle scene. He certainly wasn't expecting what he found, or more to the point, the lack there of. Namely bits and chunks of Buu scattered all over the landscape, and absolutely no sign of Vegeta whatsoever including the slightest hint of his energy. It didn't take a genius, which Gohan practically was, to deduce what had happened. Vegeta must've known that the only way to destroy Buu was to release an attack strong enough that the only result would be to destroy both of them.

"Vegeta... You know there was time when I couldn't imagine you doing anything like this. It's still kind of hard to believe even now to tell you the truth." Gohan reached down and picked up a glob of Buu into his hand. "But then again, you yourself probably never imagined giving your life for a planet you once tried to destroy... At the very least things can start getting back to normal." 

  


Finding just that one piece of flab too disgusting to look at, Gohan closed his hand around it and squeezed. Gohan's eyes widened a bit when he heard what sounded kind of like a scream. He opened his hand, and to his surprise the contents shriveled into dust. "Interesting... I wondered what happened there. I don't know, maybe that's what happens when Buu goes so long without regenerating himself."

  


Gohan looked around at the rest of the clumps of Buu matter, wondering if he'd see the same process inflicted the rest of him. If the rest of his body was doomed to dissolve along with the clump that had dissolved in his hand, then it was definitely taking its sweet time. Finally, several of the little globs began to stir, shaking slightly. Gohan expected them to shrivel up and disappear, but instead, much to his shock, they began to move. After trembling for a second or so, they quickly began to scamper towards each other merging together into a bigger wad upon contact. Caught off guard at first, it finally occurred to Gohan to zap the little pink puss-wads before they could grow any larger. He would've done just that if he hadn't been faced with further distraction when he noticed that Buu was beginning to reform all around him, as several of the smaller clumps began to merge into larger clumps. Finally, seeing enough of this, Gohan blasted one of the larger clumps sending pink material splattering everywhere. This only succeeded in impeding the process, however, as the matter Gohan splattered quickly reformed after being separated. Gohan made several more times attempts, but received the same result every time. Eventually, Gohan had to give up, as all he could do was watch as he re-manifested yet again.

  


"No! Damn it, no! This is impossible! How is he?..." Gohan rambled on, as Buu neared finishing his reconstruction. Only, the Buu Gohan was expecting to see failed to appear. This was a totally new Buu standing before him. Much thinner, and much more solid than before, and seemingly much more in control of emotions as he rotated his neck around seemingly testing his joints, bones, and muscles. Assuming Buu had bones, joints, a muscles that was... Gohan didn't give a rat's ass, and less than a damn for that matter about how Buu looked or what he was made of. All he cared about was knowing that all of his friends were dead, and this son of a bitch had the nerve to still be alive. 

  


"How the hell are you still alive?! Vegeta gave everything he had, and it was all for nothing! How the hell do you keep pulling yourself together like that anyway?!" 

  


Based on his past experiences with this beat, Gohan wasn't expecting an intelligent answer, but to his utter shock he actually got one as Buu spoke in a somewhat decipherable tone of voice. "Don't threat now Gohan Vegeta didn't die for nothing. In fact, his little stunt gave me the perfect opportunity to absorb enough energy that I could mature to this level. You see, at the very least you no longer have to deal with that childish earlier version of myself that annoyed you so much."

  


"What? Impossible!" Gohan murmured. No, not from the fact that Buu actually said something intelligible, but because what he had said. "You mean Vegeta's final attack actually did you more good than harm? This is insane! What kind of beast are you?!"

  


"Like nothing you've ever seen before, and I believe you'll vouch for that by now," Buu smirked. "You know, your friend's little kamikaze attack might've worked if it hadn't been for my ability to regenerated myself. Actually, I probably couldn't find a more perfect planet to utilize that little trick. 

  


The make-up of this little mud-ball is almost perfect! I'm afraid that as long as we're on this planet you'll never be able to defeat me."

  


"We'll see about that!" Gohan bellowed, and lunged at Buu. "I'll find a way to destroy you if it's the last thing I do!"

  


"Trying will be, I assure you."

  


Gohan let loose a flurry of punches, all in which Buu easily dodged or blocked, or at least Buu made it look that way. Gohan caught Buu off guard by connecting with a jab to his face, following up quickly by striking the monster underneath the chin with a knee lift, knocking Buu's head backward. Buu quickly rebounded however, by catching him in the gut before Gohan's feet even had the chance to hit the ground, and following up with a seemingly simple shoulder tackle that sent Gohan skipping along the ground. 

  


Buu wiped his chin, and smirked to himself. That Sayian's attack granted me enough energy to transform, but it didn't increase my power all that much... Of course the boy doesn't have to know about that little fact. It's not going to do him any good anyway, there's no way he can destroy me. I might want to be careful not to irritate him any more than I have too. His strength seems to increase the angrier he gets. Oh well, it's not like it matters. I'll destroy him eventually... This should be rather entertaining actually...

  


********

  


"What do you mean Buu's still alive?! You better not be joking around Kakarrot! I'm in no mood!" Vegeta sneered, grabbing on to the collar of Goku's gi in frustration. 

  


"I wish I was joking Vegeta..." Goku sighed. "But Buu just reformed again shortly after your attack"

  


Vegeta paused momentarily as that fact sunk in, and roughly let go of Goku's gi."Of all the infernal!... What a waste! Did I at least damage the fat bastard?"

  


"Actually, the exact opposite so it seems..." King Kai said grimly, staring off in the opposite direction, his back turned to the Sayian warriors. "Apparently, Buu used the tremendous energy you released to advance to a stronger level. Actually, I'm not sure how much stronger he's actually gotten if at all, but he sure looks different."

  


"This can't be possible!" Vegeta growled, and looked down at his fists. "You mean to tell me that I actually helped that fat freak?!"

  


"See for yourself..." King Kai pointed down to a crystal ball at his feet. Vegeta walked over and looked into it, and what he saw was a completely new and improved Majin Buu exchanging punches with Gohan. Normally calm and collective, Vegeta's eyes bulged at the sight of Buu in one piece. 

  


"What insanity is this?! What's the point in fighting something you can't kill or even defeat?!"

  


"There has to be a way Vegeta.... We've all got to think that way. Hopefully, we can figure out something that we haven't thought of yet. Unfortunately, Gohan's on his own for now." 

The Kai's antenna's straightened out as a message reached through to him telepathically. "Well, it's about time! Hey, Goku! Piccolo says he's gathered all the Dragon Balls on Namek, and he's waiting at the front gate! He can't bring the Dragon Balls into this plane obviously, so I'll just have to relay the Elder Namek a message explaining just what we need him to do. Now, as soon as the kids get back we'll have you warp up us to the gate! It's been close to an hour, so they should be arriving any minute now."

  


As if on cue, Ryo and Videl's bodies phased into view along with Baba. Vegeta looked over at the pair and snorted. "Well, at least someone around here is punctual."

  


"Vegeta?" Ryo said, surprised to see him there.

  


"You!" At the very sight of the Sayian prince, Videl's finger pointed outward at him before she stomped towards him angrily. Vegeta crossed his arms, and rolled his eyes knowing full well what was coming. "What's the big idea?! Throwing me into the line of fire like that! I literally got my guts blown out because of you!"

  


"Humph, is all you human woman do is whine and complain? You're the one that told me you were willing to do anything to help Gohan, so don't blame me."

  


"Well, that wasn't quite what I had in mind! You could've at least warned me first! Even the Romans told the Christians what was going to happen to them months before they fed 'em to the lions!"

  


"Whatever " Vegeta waved his hand in the air indifferently and turned his back to her. "I already apologized, so I don't know what you're expecting from me. Hell, it almost worked "

  


Videl's eyes bulged as Vegeta walked away from her. "Hey you, get back here!" 

  


Videl tried to chase after Vegeta, but Ryo managed to restrain her. "Videl, tap into a couple of brain cells here! Vegeta's not the type of guy you want to get angry with you okay?"

  


Videl looked up at him disgustedly. "Who cares?! What exactly is he going to do to me anyway, kill me?!"

  
  


"Hey, don't be too angry with Vegeta, Videl," Goku said as he approached her. She calmed down immediately, allowing Ryo to let go of her. "What he did might've been extreme, but he really thought the increase in power Gohan got after seeing you killed would've been enough to destroy Buu... Unfortunately it wasn't."

  


"Is there a certain point during this story where I'm supposed to start caring!" Videl snorted, and threw her arms across her chest. "How he did he wind up here anyway? Buu got to him?"

  


"Actually no..." Goku began solemnly. "You see, Vegeta gave his life trying to pull off an attack so powerful that it destroyed himself in the process. Unfortunately, that didn't work out to well either..."

  


Videl softened somewhat, but she didn't cease frowning. "Yeah, good for him, but I'm still mad though."

  


"You have every right to be!" Goku laughed, and rubbed the back of his head. "Now let's get going Piccolo's waiting for us at the gate. All we can do now is wait, and see just what Gohan can do. " Goku looked over into the Kai's crystal ball, which now showed a close up look of the angry scowl, sprawled across the face of his son.

  


********

  


Gohan fought off Buu relentlessly, but no matter what he tried or how much he pounded upon that monster it all seemed for not. Buu would either just shake it off, pull himself together whenever Gohan would manage to shed a limb here or there, and whenever Buu felt like it gave Gohan a couple of good pounding's of his own. Gohan was smart enough to realize that feeding off his anger and adrenaline was only going to get him so far, and he'd reached that destination some time ago, Gohan relaxed a bit and started to reevaluate his position. If he had any chance of surviving this battle than he needed to use the one major advantage he still held over Buu, his brain. Buu might've been able to produce a decent sentence or two since his transformation, but Gohan had his suspicions that Buu still wasn't exactly a rocket scientist. 

  


"What's the matter boy? You seem reluctant to fight all of the sudden. Don't tell me you're giving up already."

  


"Trust me, I'm not about to give up," Gohan smirked. "I was just thinking why exactly I should bother wasting my energy when I know that no matter how I damage you, you can just reform. You don't seem that quick to attack me either though. What's the matter? You don't feel you're strong enough to finish me off?"

  


Buu let out a weak laugh before his lips curved into a frown. "Don't tempt me boy. I could crush you underneath my thumb at any time I please. Since you seem so eager, allow me to give you an example!"

  


Gohan braced himself as Buu charged forward. Buu smiled sadistically as his fists flied in a flurry, Gohan barely able to block them as he was knocked backward. It wasn't long before Buu broke through those defenses, connecting at first with his chest and then landing several punches to his jaw and head, the last, which sent him crashing back into one of the many bulging rock surfaces scattered around the landscape. Buu crossed his arms and smiled as Gohan pulled himself out of the rock. "You convinced yet?"

  


"Not at all," Gohan smirked, wiping a stream of blood from his mouth. While Gohan tried to maintain a confident demeanor, self-confidence had never been his forte. While smiling on the outside, on the inside his mind was drastically scanning for any type of answer that might solve this puzzle known as Buu. Then, by a stroke of luck a thought occurred to him. He remembered the incident earlier in the day when that lump of Buu's flesh dissolved in his hand. Then he recalled the comment Buu had made earlier about the chemical balance of Earth being perfect for his regeneration process. His eyes grew wide, as the now seemingly obvious answer slapped him across the face. "That's it!"

  


"What are you rambling about?" Buu cackled.

  


Gohan looked up towards the sky, and assessed the pros and cons of the idea formulating in his head. It was risky, and possibly suicidal, but with few options open to him, Gohan decided he had no other alternative but to try. He looked over at Buu, and smiled coyly. "You want me Buu? Then come and get me!"

  


"What?" Buu flinched, as Gohan blasted off admitting a large blast of energy. Some of the dust and mud he kicked up blew into Buu's face, much to his distaste. Buu swatted the dust cloud away, and laughed as he watched Gohan flee into the sky. "Now, now, running away Gohan? And you claimed you weren't afraid. Well, I hope you realize running won't do you any good." With that, Buu quickly gave chase.

  


Buu continued his pursuit, keeping a good pace with him, and in fact gaining ground with each passing second. Buu expected for Gohan to at one point or another to veer off course and take off in some direction or another, but to that point Gohan continued to fly straight up. This confused Buu to some degree. What in the world is that fool doing?! If he flies any higher he's going to leave this planets atmosphere! Maybe he wants to end his life himself rather than allow me to do it for him. He has to be up to something... Oh well, it should be amusing to see what.

  


Good, he's following me I just hope this works... I only hope I survive long enough to pull this off... Well, here goes nothing! 

  


Buu half expected Gohan to stop at any second as the sky around them began to darken, but to his utter shock, with a burst of speed Gohan launched himself out of Earth's atmosphere and into space. "He is insane! I like that... I don't think humans or Sayians can breathe in space... I guess I might as well follow him and make sure."

  


Buu was correct, neither humans or Sayians could breathe in space, or at least normally they couldn't. Gohan's Super Sayian abilities were helping him to manage for the time being, he just wasn't managing very well. Well, I'm still alive, I guess that's a good sign... Though I don't know how long I can survive out here, so I better hurry up. I'm already getting dizzy...

  


Gohan shook his head fiercely. "Get with it Gohan! You can do this! Though it would help if I could breath!"

  


"What is he up too?!" Buu growled, growing frustrated. "Is he unaware that I don't have to breathe to live? There has to be some point to this madness..."

  


Buu got his answer mere moments later when he noticed Gohan was headed straight for the moon. Well, that answered where he was headed anyway, but it still didn't explain why. Several minutes later, Gohan finally touched down on the moon with a little bit of difficulty, but eventually thought to exert enough energy to combat the low gravity and keep his feet on the ground. Buu landed seconds later, smirking maniacally at the young Demi-Sayian who was obviously having difficulty breathing. 

  


"There's frost on your nose boy," Buu cackled.

  


Gohan's face faltered slightly. He scratched the tiny chip of ice off his nose, and smiled. "Well, it is a little cold up here."

  


"Why in the world did you drag me out here anyway boy? If you think destroying you here would save that miserable mud-ball of a planet of yours than you're mistaking," Buu taunted.

  


"But that's not why we're here," Gohan jeered through ragged breaths. "You see, I found out you're secret."

  


"Oh have you now?" Buu snickered. "If so, then please enlighten me. I'm not sure exactly what it is myself. If you were banking on that I can't breath in space, than I regret to inform that you're wrong. I don't even require to breath to live anyhow... Unlike you unfortunately. You don't look so well Gohan, maybe you should've thought twice before you lured me out here. I can carry you back to Earth if you'd like. Of course you understand it would be in my digestive track, but at least it's not as painful as suffocating to death on the moon now is it?"

  


"Actually, you've interpreted my intentions all wrong," Gohan huffed.

  


"Then by all means correct me."

  


"You know what the funny thing about fire is?" Gohan asked, apparently beginning to ramble on about nothing as far as Buu was concerned. "It spreads by consuming oxygen. I've heard of people trying to put out stove fires, or other types of small fire breakouts by dumping water on it, when in actuality smothering the fire is a lot more effective method to put out the flames. That's why fire extinguishers back on Earth are made the way they are. They don't spit water, they spit a chemical agent that smothers the flames and puts out the fire."

  


"Fascinating..." Buu mumbled sarcastically. "And next you're going to tell me why the sky is blue, and what those shiny little lights are out in space I suppose. Tell me you didn't drag me all the way out here for a chemistry lesson, or whatever you want to call it..."

  


"No, I just wanted you to understand what's going on once I do this!" Ignoring the burning in his chest, Gohan lunged forward and assaulted Buu with all the ferocity he could muster. Buu didn't waste the energy it took to dodge, and allowed Gohan to lay into him leaving a dozen or so fist imprints into his stomach. Once Buu got annoyed enough with this, he jumped back and took a swing at Gohan's head. Gohan surprised Buu by hitting the ground and rolling out of the way. He quickly sprung up to one knee, and fired. "Ka-ma-he-ma-he!"

  


Buu tried to dodge the attack, but after being caught slightly off guard, Gohan managed to clip him with the blast practically obliterating the lower half of the right side of his body. His right leg completely severed from his body, and a huge gash was left in his right hip forcing what was left of Buu to dangle off to the left a little. Since the blast only grazed off of him, and a hell of a graze it was, it somehow didn't explode on impact and shot off into space headed for some unknown destination. Buu just smirked at Gohan, and shook his head.

  


"Once again, you waste your energy boy. All I have to do is regenerate my form, and I'll be good as new."

  


Gohan smiled defiantly. "Why don't you try it then?"

  


"Well if you so insist..." Buu concentrated on reshaping his body structure. First he'd reconnect the top half of his torso to his lower half, and then simply re-grow a new leg from scratch, discarding the old one. At least, that was the plan. He felt the matter at his wound begin to sizzle But it didn't reform. At least not right away. He could feel his body beginning to re-shape, but the process was moving so painstakingly slow that he could barely tell it was even working. He should have been able to reform at the snap of a finger. "What the hell is going on?! I can't regenerate! What did you do to me?!"

  


"You asked why I led you to the moon didn't you?" Gohan asked, as he gasped for air. "You see, just like I need oxygen to breathe, you need oxygen to regenerate your body. That's why you could do your little regeneration trick so easily back on Earth, but up here there's very little oxygen to speak of. From what I've seen, if parts of you are detached from the rest of your body for too long, and they're deprived of oxygen they disintegrate." Gohan demonstrated by stepping on a piece of severed Buu flesh. He grinded into the ground, and once he lifted his foot up it ceased to exist. "See what I mean?"

  


"No, this isn't possible!" Buu stammered in horror, now trying to simply reform the dents in his chest back into form. He found even this simple task too difficult to perform. "Damn you brat! You lured me right into a..." 

  


"Trap!" Gohan finished for him, as his fist connected with Buu's face. Gohan launched a relentless assault, pounding Buu and disfiguring him in every way imaginable. Buu couldn't even defend himself. His boneless blubbery body having been twisted in so many ways that there was no possible way he could fight back. Buu, the most deadly monster ever to terrorize the universe, was at Gohan's mercy. With Buu's body a mangled mess, Gohan launched one more Kamehameha wave that completely destroyed the lower half of Buu's body taking his left arm, and part of his torso with it. What was left of Buu crashed to the ground in a heap, much in the same shape that Gohan's father Goku had left Frieza in all those years before. As Buu groaned and whimpered at his feet, Gohan powered up for one final assault to splatter what was left of Buu all over the moon surface. He pulled his arms back, but all of the sudden everything around him went black, and he fell to the ground. Gohan took about as deep a breath as he could muster, and forced himself up to his knees. His face was beginning to turn blue from the lack of oxygen, and his hair was beginning to frost among other parts of his body. He was beginning to sweat from all the energy he was exerting, and every sweat droplet that poured from his glands was freezing the second it leaked out onto the surface. Buu's broken body began to laugh and cackle, mocking him. 

  


"Look's like all your efforts will be for not boy... You won't be able to survive out here much longer without oxygen. As long as once piece of body still exists, I can always regenerate myself eventually. It might take me decades to fully recover on this accursed rock, but I'll have the last laugh in the end you better believe me!"

  


"Not if I destroy you first..." Gohan chocked weakly.

  


"Hah! And how do you think you'll accomplish that? You'll suffocate and die, long before you can extinguish every last part of my being..."

  


It took his lips a while to curve, but Gohan managed a smirk. "Not necessarily... You see, I don't plan on suffocating to death..."

  


"Oh really? And how do you intend to survive without oxygen?"

  


"Who said anything about surviving..." Gohan laughed weakly. "You see Buu, Vegeta had the right idea... He just picked the wrong place to carry his plan out..."

  


Buu's eyes bulged in fear "No, don't be crazy boy! You'll destroy us both!"

  


"Exactly..." Gohan snickered. Forcing himself up to his knees, he summoned up all the power he could muster. "I'd like to say see you in hell Buu, but I don't really care if I do or not..."

  


"No! Please no! I wasn't really going to destroy the universe! Stop it you maniacccc!"

  


"Whoa!" Krillen yelped as an enormous energy blast was felt nearby, similar to the one Vegeta had released earlier. Oddly enough, this blast seemed to originate from somewhere overhead. Everyone on top the lookout began to search around for the origin of the blast, and in a matter of seconds determined it had come from somewhere on the moon. The huge sheet of energy erupting from the top of the giant rock was a subtle hint, illuminating the moon to unprecedented proportions for that time of day. "What the hell was that?!"

  


"I think we found out where Buu and Gohan had gotten off to..." Dende assumed. "But what the heck are they doing on the moon?"

  


"I don't known..." Krillen mumbled. "But if he is up there I hope Gohan's okay..."

  


Dende closed his eyes, and opened his mind. He scanned for any trace of the two fighters. He'd lost track of Gohan's energy the second he'd left Earth's atmosphere. For a while he feared Buu might've killed Gohan, but he picked up small traces of his life force every so often. It wasn't until he witnessed that explosion on the moon a few moments ago, that he realized why he'd lost track of him. Not as adept at sensing Ki as say Goku and Vegeta were, Dende had a difficult time picking people up once they left the planet. Buu's life force however, was much too evil and unsettling for Dende ever to lose track of. Until right now that was, leading Dende to one exciting conclusion. "I can't... I can't sense Buu anymore! I think... I think it's over! Gohan did it! He actually did it!"

  


With only a little more than a quarter of the moon visible, neither Krillen or Dende could see the full extent of the damage the blast had done and wouldn't until the next full moon. A huge crater had been indented into the top of the large floating rock, including the section near the left corner, which would forever disfigure the once circular object. What lay in that crater was nothing but rock, as all remains of the two warriors who'd ventured up there ceased to exist.

  


********

  


"Darn it! I wish I knew what was going on down there, all this waiting in the dark is killing me!" Goku ranted, as he paced.

  


King Kai cleared his throat, and started his retort slowly. "Well, we would be able to see what was going on, if somebody hadn't destroyed my viewing crystal!" 

  


Goku sweat dropped, and rubbed the back of his head. "Hey, I'm sorry King Kai! I just got a little excited that's all! I would've been more careful with it, if I'd known they were so fragile."

  


"They're not fragile Goku!" The Kai spat, flapping his arms like a hummingbird. "There just aren't many things in the universe built to hold together when some muscle-bound Sayian slams his fist against it!"

  


"I said I was sorry! Gees, calm down King Kai!"

  


Vegeta snorted, and shook his head. "Somebody free me from this circus..."

  


Also wanting to divert her attention from Goku and the Kai's silly squabble, Videl looked to Ryo wanting conformation on what exactly they were going to do with the Dragon Balls, and all the wishes. "So, if we have no idea of knowing what's going on down on Earth, then how do we know when the others start using those stupid balls?"

  


Ryo smiled. "Easy, once our bodies fade out, and we find ourselves back on Earth."

  


Videl frowned, but her lips eventually curved upward into a bit of a smirk. "Well duh smart-ass, but how will the guys back on Earth know when to start using the Dragon Balls?!"

  


"I'm not sure. I suppose when and if Gohan finally manages to defeat Buu then they probably won't waste any time wishing things back to normal."

  


"You did tell Krillen and Dende how to utilize their wish didn't you?" Piccolo inquired.

  


"Sure did," Ryo smiled. "They'll use their one wish to bring back Vegeta seeing as he hasn't been wished back with the Earth's dragon ball's yet."

  


"But we haven't either," Videl reminded him.

  


"Well yeah, but we have to look at the big picture here Videl. Piccolo has been wished back by the Earth's Dragon, and we need to conserve wishes. The best way to do that is by using one of the wishes to wish everybody killed by Buu back to life with the same wish. We can't do that with the Earth's Dragon or Piccolo will get left out in the cold. Besides, the two of us are more likely to croak again somewhere along the road than Vegeta is. As soon as King Kai sends his telepathic signal to Elder Mori to get started, he'll use the other two wishes to restore the Earth. It's as simple as that."

  


"What about the souls of the people of Earth though?" Videl asked with concern. "Didn't the Supreme Kai say that the Dragon Balls didn't have the power to take the souls back from Kashunari?"

  


"No, the Earth's Dragon can't..." Ryo smiled and looked over at Piccolo. Piccolo smirked himself, picking up the hint that Ryo wanted him to answer.

  


"But the Dragon Balls on Namek can. At least that's what Elder Mori told me anyhow. I just hope he's right." 

  


Impressed, Videl smiled smugly and said. "Well damn, you guys have sure planned everything out quite thoroughly now haven't you?"

  


"Hey, don't look at me," Ryo laughed. "I'm just repeating what Piccolo told me."

  


Piccolo sweat dropped, and cleared his throat before he spoke. "Well, if you guys thought I was collecting dust up here while waiting until everyone arrived for a big Other World reunion, then I'm afraid you were mistaking."

  


"I just wish that brat would hurry up, so we could get on with it already!" Vegeta snarled, masking a hint of concern in his voice. "I'd like to know sooner or later if I'm getting my life back, or if I'm going to be stuck on this accursed funny farm for the rest of eternity." 

  


"Don't worry Vegeta, once Gohan defeats Buu you'll be the first to know," Piccolo told him, trying hard to maintain an optimistic point of view.

  


********

  


"Well, should we make the wish, or wait for Gohan for conformation that Buu's dead?" Krillen asked Dende.

  


"That's a good question... We might want to wait a little while longer just in case. The last thing we want to do is start wishing everyone back, only to later discover Buu's still alive ready to send everyone right back where they came from."

  


"Good point..." Krillen scratched under his chin inquisitively.

  
  


"Don't threat... Buu has indeed met his end."

  


Krillen and Dende whirled their heads around at the sound of the voice, and what they saw was a battered and bloodied Supreme Kai wobbling his way towards them. The Kai fell down to a knee, prompting Krillen and Dende to rush over to his side.

"Supreme Kai, are you all right?!" Dende asked in a panic.

  


"Don't worry, I'll live..." Shin laughed weakly.

  


"That's good to hear, but how can you be sure Buu is dead?" Krillen asked him.

  


"Because I sensed his demise, there's no mistaking it," Shin giggled almost gleefully. "Gohan really pulled it off... It's almost impossible for me to believe that he's actually finished... I don't think the reality of the situation has fully sunken in yet. I'm almost afraid I'll wake up and discover this was all part of some sweet impossible dream." Shin's mood suddenly darkened slightly. "However, I am afraid that Gohan paid the ultimate price for his valor."

  


Krillen's head bobbled in alarm. "Wha... What?! You mean Gohan's dead?!"

  


"I'm afraid so... His life force faded at the exact moment as Buu's did."

  


"Oh no..." Dende mouthed, not just thinking of Gohan, but the big picture as a whole. "This messes up everything! I'm not exactly certain, but I fairly sure Piccolo planned out the use of all the wishes on the assumption that if Gohan defeated Buu he'd live to tell about it. For all we know, this might change everything if the others happen to realize Gohan's on the other side with the rest of them."

  


"Yeah, you're right " Krillen agreed. "I guess it all depends on who killed who. I know this sounds strange, but if Buu killed Gohan then we have nothing to worry about. If Gohan killed Buu, but wound up destroying himself in the process then things might just get complicated."

  


"I guess the question is, do we make the wish that Ryo requested we make, or do we go a different road now that we know Gohan is..."

  


"No, I wouldn't advise it," Shin added quickly. "Make the wish as Ryo asked you too. They want you to make that particular wish for a reason. If they feel the need to change any of the other wishes, then they'll do so as they see fit. In other words, just wish Vegeta back to life and don't worry about the rest of the details."

  


"Sounds good to me," Krillen grinned. "Any idea that takes the pressure off my back is perfectly fine with me!"

  


"I can't say I agree with that Krillen, but the Supreme Kai does have a point. We should probably leave Piccolo's plan the way it is."

  


Krillen chuckled and rubbed his hands together. "Okay, now that, that's all settled let's get on with this thing then!"

  


Nodding his head in agreement, Dende walked over to the seven Dragon Balls amassed together nearby. The others gathered around as Dende began to summon the ancient dragon, the two boys crowded in the closest in anticipation of seeing the legendary dragon. As was the norm, the sky darkened and a large swell of light shot from the balls and up into the sky. Shin and the children watched in awe of the inspirational sight as the magic dragon appeared before them.

  


"Fascinating," the Kai marveled. "In all my years, I've never seen anything quite like this..."

  


"Hey, that is kind of cool," Trunks agreed.

  


Goten didn't seem so sure. "I don't know... I think I've seen something like this on TV once on that cartoon channel."

  


After completing his rather impressive entrance, the dragon settled and growled. "I am Shenron the eternal dragon of Earth. I may grant you one wish, but only one alone. Now, why have you summoned me?!"

  


Dende seemed a little flushed at first as he always did whenever he had to speak to one of the dragons, but quickly shook it off and said. "Um... Oh right! Shenron, I would like to call to you to bring back the life of the one known as Vegeta!"

  


The dragon paused a moment before saying. "So it shall be..."

  


----------

  


Back in Other World, the living impaired members of the Z-senshi were standing around patiently waiting for things to get moving. All they could really do from their position was wait. Vegeta in particular was growing annoyed, like he didn't stay that way the majority of the time anyway, when he felt a strange sensation rip through his body. It took him a moment, but he smiled once he realized just what was going on. "Well, I'll be damned I guess the brat pulled it off after all..."

  


Piccolo looked at him curiously. "What are you going on about Vegeta?"

  


"I think it's begun." All the others could see was a smirk, before Vegeta disappeared from their sights. Ryo and Videl both jumped, neither realizing just yet that his was the norm for people just recently called back from the dead.

  


"Vegeta?! Where did he go?" Videl asked, as she looked around for him.

  


"Don't worry about it," Piccolo smirked. "He's probably back on Earth by now."

  


Videl smiled enthusiastically. "You mean, it's over?! Gohan, he, he..."

  


"That means Gohan did it!" Ryo cheered, with a pump of his fists. "All right! Way to put that fat piece of crap in his place!"

  
  


"He did it, he really... " Videl stammered as if unable to believe what she herself was saying. Abruptly, Videl cheered and jumped into Ryo's arms and the two danced around and laughed in celebration. "I can't believe it! Gohan actually won!"

  


"Yeah, well why do you sound so surprised Videl?" Ryo laughed, as he set her down."You almost sound like you didn't expect Gohan to pull it off!"

  


Videl blushed slightly, and huffed. "I didn't say that! I was just worried about him you know? It's just kind of hard to believe that this is finally over. To tell you the truth I'm relieved."

  


"Trust me, we're all relieved kid," Piccolo smirked. "I can't say I'm all that surprised however. This isn't the first time he's saved the world you know. The boy is definitely his father's son."

  


Overhearing Piccolo's comment, Goku smiled proudly before turning to address King Kai. "That's my boy all right. I for one am not surprised one little bit So, did you hear all that King Kai? I guess that means you can relay your message to Elder Mori back on Namek."

  


"I was just about to get to that, now if you please quiet down so I can concentrate." The Kai stiffened, as he began to send a long-distance telepathic message to Namek.

  


----------

  


"What?! You mean the boy didn't..." Vegeta grumbled upon hearing the news of Gohan's demise from the Supreme Kai. 

  


"I'm afraid so... It literally took everything Gohan had for Buu to finally face his demise..."

  


"I see." Was all Vegeta said. Shin assumed Vegeta's silence was his way of showing respect, since he didn't crack a joke or make a disrespectful comment like he'd been known to do in his younger days. Vegeta looked down and smiled, and patted his son on the head. Trunks hadn't left his father's side since he'd been wished back to life a few minutes before.

  


"So, when are Piccolo and the other's going to start using the Namekian dragon to make the other wishes?" Krillen asked Vegeta.

  


"How should I know? Any minute now I suppose."

  


Goten had been looking down at the Earth from the edge of the lookout, when he suddenly began jumping up and down and pointed towards the Earth. "Hey guys, check it out!"

  


Curious, the other Z-senshi currently on the lookout eventually made their way over to the spot Goten had been standing. Dende was the first to reach him. With a smile, Dende put his hand on Goten's shoulder and said. "I think I know the answer to your question Krillen."

  


The onlookers watched in awe, with the exception of Vegeta who looked as indifferent as always, as what appeared to be a sparkling blanket of energy spread over parts of the Earth. Though they couldn't witness it all from their vantage point, things were beginning the change down on earth. Trees that had been uprooted were suddenly put back into the place, buildings that had been torn to sunder where being reconstructed as good as the day they were ravished, and the planet in general was reclaiming the majestic beauty it once held before the Soul Pirates came and blasted the planet to hell and back. Soon after the planet was restored to it's former glory, creatures big and small began to raise from their dormant state to breath the air and romp across the Earth once more. This included the human race as their souls were brought back to Earth, after abruptly being wretched away by the hands that had so viciously removed them from their bodies. 

"Ugh... What happened?" Hercule grumbled, as he sat up. He took a good look at his surroundings, trying to recall just where it was he was at. Suddenly, he remembered that giant scorpion monster that had destroyed his house, and went after his daughter. The last thing he remembered was tangling with the beast, and than being knocked to the ground and watching in horror as it lunged it's stinger towards his chest. Panicked, he jumped to his feet and started to look for his daughter, and any sings of the monster that had attacked them. To his shock he didn't find a trace of either, and when he looked over at his house it seemed to be in perfect shape. Puzzled, all Hercule could do was scratch his head. 

  


"What in the world is going on here? Was it all a dream? But what was I doing sleeping in the front yard? I don't remember getting drunk last night... I better get inside before Videl yells at me again."

Bulma awoke in a stupor, but it didn't take long for her to remember what happened to her just minutes before. At least it seemed to her like it should've been just minutes ago, but oddly she did feel some deal of time had past since the invasion of her home. "Trunks! Trunks! Where are you?! Come out this instant young man! Oh please be okay!"

  


To her dismay, Trunks was nowhere to be found even after she ransacked the house looking for Trunks and Goten. She was ready to scream and pass out on the couch when she noticed something odd. She knew that those monsters that invaded her home had tore up the place pretty good in the process, yet despite all the junk she'd strewn everywhere searching for her son, her home seemed to be in perfect space. Bulma walked over to the closest window, and looked outside. It seemed peaceful enough, and on the ground she could see several people walking the streets. Though she was too high up to see it, they all were staggering around with the same groggy confused look that Bulma had worn when she first awoke from her soul extraction induced coma. Being a woman of high intelligence, and a pioneer in Dragon Ball hunting technology, it didn't take her long to hypothesis what had occurred.

  


"Well, whatever happened here, I guess Vegeta and the others have taken care of it," Bulma sighed, and leaned her back up against the window. "I just hope Vegeta, Trunks, and everyone are okay..."

  


---------- 

  


"This is... This is remarkable!" Shin marveled, as he could now feel the presence of billions of Ki's down on the small blue planet. "Everything's back to normal! It's almost as if Buu and Kashunari had never even stepped foot on the planet!"

  


"Yep, that's the beauty of the Dragon Balls," Krillen bragged.

"But I thought you said the Dragon Balls wouldn't have the power to get the souls away from the Soul Pirates?" Dende wondered.

  


"I didn't believe they could... This is definitely one on me "

  


"Well, the Dragon Balls on Namek are a little different than the ones of Earth," Dende told him. "They're a lot more powerful for one thing... I guess that's my fault, I'm just not strong enough to match up with the Elders on Namek just yet."

  


"Don't be hard on yourself now Dende," Shin smiled. "You're young yet, don't set you standards so high."

  


Dende spat. "Tell that to Gohan, Trunks, Goten, Ryo, and Videl. And Goku for that matter! If their skills had rose any quicker, they would've been saving the world in their diapers!"

  


Shin sweat dropped. "You're missing the point entirely Dende..."

  


"Hey guys, check out who's here!" Krillen smiled, and pointed to the west. Dende looked over, and already sensing the trio's approached, Shin just smiled. There they saw Piccolo, Ryo, and Videl flying quickly towards the lookout. Goten and Trunks began waving their arms and jumping up and down excitedly, practically acting as landing strip coordinators as they tried to wave them in. Soon, the trio did touch down, and immediately found themselves swarmed by friends. "Hey, welcome back guys!"

  


"Took you long enough," Vegeta snorted.

  


"Took you long enough," Videl spat, before reaching down and patting a cheerful Goten on his head. Vegeta's brow twitched slightly. The only other two women Vegeta had ever met that weren't totally intimidated by him in the least were Bulma and Kakarrot's wife. The Sayian Prince was beginning to see an alarming trend in the mates of his race's few surviving members. 

  


"Supreme Kai, you're alive!" Ryo laughed, noticing the short purple guardian. "We weren't sure what had happened to you."

  


"I'm lucky to be alive, I'll tell you," Shin responded cheerfully. "Not that it matters all that much, seeing as I spend most of my time in Other World anyhow. Either way, thanks for worrying about me. Though I'm not sure if I made it all the way to Canada or not, Buu did drive me quite a distance."

  


Ryo's face faltered, and he mumbled. "No disrespect intended sir, but I really wish you'd stop with the mind reading thing..." The Supreme Kai's only response was a loud chuckle.

  
  


"It's good to see you again Piccolo," Dende greeted. 

  


"Likewise," Piccolo smiled. "It's good to be home "

  
  


"You know guys, this reunion is great and all, but I'm anxious to get back home," Krillen announced. "I really want to see Eighteen and Marren again, just so I can be sure they're really alright... Hell, I wouldn't even mind seeing old man Roshi right about now!"

  


"For once I agree with you," Vegeta said. "Let's go boy. Your mother must be blowing a gasket by now."

  


"Sure thing dad."

  


"Speaking of which, I should probably go check on my father, but first things first I guess," Videl said quietly to herself, before calling out loud to everyone who was listening. "Hey, where's Gohan gotten off to anyway? I figured he'd be up here with the rest of you."

  


An instantaneous hush fell over the lookout, as most everyone froze where they were standing, a scene quite reminiscent to someone cursing the name of God in the middle of Sunday Mass. Confused and annoyed, Videl frowned as she wondered why nobody was offering her an answer in any shape or form. She began to scan the crowd in search of a reason, and in the process noticed several heads turn away from her and how they shied away as if afraid to give her a straight answer. Videl took a look back at Ryo and Piccolo to ask why the others were acting so weird, when she noticed they too were looking towards the ground while they fidgeted nervously. "Have I missed something? Alright, what's going on?!"

  


Videl glared straight at Ryo. Though she couldn't expect much from the others present that she hardly knew, Ryo was another story. Out of everybody present, she expected he at least should be willing to give her a straight answer. Understanding this, Ryo blushed slightly, and stumbled on his words as he began to speak. "Videl... After we were wished back to Earth, didn't you notice that you couldn't sense Gohan's Ki anywhere?..."

  


Videl's expression faltered slightly, already dreading she knew where this conversation was headed. "Yes... But I know I'm not that good at it yet, so I was hoping I was just overlooking it..." Ryo sighed, and put his hands on her shoulders to keep her from shaking

"I'm afraid you weren't overlooking anything Videl... Piccolo and I noticed he was... I guess what I'm trying to say is..." Ryo's speech began breaking finding that he just didn't have the heart to break Videl's. Her eyes vainly pleadingly with him not to say what she was so afraid and so sure Ryo was going to tell her, not even bothering to blink in the process, and Ryo began to fear he was going to break down right with her at any second if she kept looking at him that way. Still, half a minute later, and he just couldn't find the words. 

  


Noticing that no one else seemed willing to tell the girl the truth, and never being one for sentiment himself, Vegeta spoke out without flinching. "What he's trying to tell you is that Gohan's dead Videl. He gave his life in order to destroy Majin Buu."

  


Videl trembled as those words pierced through her chest like a cold jagged dagger. While Ryo continued to try to hold her still, Videl looked towards the ground and said shakily. "But... We can wish him back with the Dragon Balls just like everyone else can't we?"

  
  


"Well yeah... In about six months..." Ryo murmured, tilting his head away slightly. That still didn't save him from seeing Videl's expression as she looked up at him demanding an explanation with her eyes. Ryo sighed, and spelled it out for her as best he could. "We used up all the wishes restoring the planet, and wishing everyone else back. We never really counted on both Gohan and Buu dying in the process of the fight, we figured the loser would die and the winner walks away. That just didn't happen... Look on the bright side though. Since we could only use one wish from the Earth Dragon this time around, it'll only take six months for the Dragon Balls to recharge. I know that's not very comforting, but it's better then having to wait an entire year..."

  


With a grunt, Videl dropped to her knees. Resting one hand on the ground, she began to giggle quietly. "Six months... You know, technically we were in that time rift thing for over a year's worth of time, and now two days after getting back I'm hearing six more months..." 

  


Though she didn't use his name, Ryo knew she was referring to the time apart she had already endured, and would yet still, away from Gohan. "Videl, I don't know what else to say..."

  


"It's okay, you don't have to say anything..." Videl said shakily. "I just need some time to think, if you guys will excuse me..."

Videl got to her feet, and walked rather quickly towards Dende's house as she held her head, suffering from a sudden migraine. Nobody tried to stop or bother her in any way. Ryo watched after her until she disappeared into the house. Without taking his eyes off the door, Ryo asked the Supreme Kai painfully. "So... Gohan's really dead?"

  


"Yes, I'm afraid so..." Shin replied solemnly. "But why are you asking for conformation from me? I thought you said you sensed his demise after being wished back?"

  


"I did..." Ryo chocked, appearing flustered. "It's just that deep down, I was hoping somehow I might've been wrong... The world would be a better place if I was wrong more often. Excuse me guys, but I think I'm going to talk a walk. I'm feeling kind of lightheaded all of the sudden."

  
  


"I don't get it dad..." Trunks said, looking confused as he watched Ryo stagger away from the rest of the group. "What's up with them? They are acting funny, but I thought they'd be a little more upset." 

  


"Just leave them be Trunks. Despite how different our peoples may be, one thing most cultures have in common is that their warriors see showing strong emotion in front of other warriors as a sign of weakness, and needless to say no warrior wants to display weakness in front of enemies or friends alike. They're dealing with this in their own way, and they want to do it away from the prying eyes of their peers. That's all there is too it really... I'm sure the Namek will wander off to mediate on the subject himself sooner or later."

  


"I guess I understand... You mean that philosophy even applies to wonder boy, and the loud she-brat?" Trunks asked, repeating the spiteful nicknames he'd heard his father refer to them by from time to time. 

  


Vegeta smirked, and said. "Yes, even them. Now come boy, let's go see your mother."

  


"So, Buu has really been defeated? For good?" Piccolo asked Shin again. It probably wouldn't matter how many times he heard it, he'd probably wouldn't mind hearing just once more to be fully sure. 

  


"Yes, utterly so," Shin replied gleefully. Just as Piccolo couldn't stop asking for reassurance, Shin just couldn't grow tired of spreading the news that Buu had been eradicated. 

  


Piccolo nodded, but followed up with one more topic of interest that had been nagging at him. "And, how long do you think it will take for Kashunari to realize his cargo is gone."

  


Shin frowned, as if this was the first time that thought had crossed his mind in a while. "That's a good question... Probably not long I'd wager."

  


"And what do you think he'll do once he figures it out?"

  


"I'm not fully certain... I know for sure that he won't have a clue what really happened to the souls he'd stolen, but he'll still most likely come back to Earth at some point just to make sure nothing is amidst. As you could probably guess yourself, he's going to be quite surprised at what he finds."

  


"I was afraid you were going to say that..." Piccolo grumbled. "Buu might be out of the way, but from the sound of things the battle might not be over yet..."

  


"This is true..." Shin admitted, but remained optimistic. "But I wouldn't concern yourself with it much Piccolo. Compared to Majin Buu, Kashunari will seem like child's play. He's strong, but nowhere near Vegeta or Gohan's level. You also have two more important factors working in your favor. Kashunari won't be able to get the jump on you like he managed to do last time around, plus he won't have the use of much of his force of Durrgan's if he even makes it that far. I'm not saying defeating him will be easy, but unlike Buu at least he is a beatable opponent. You, Vegeta, and the others simply have to make sure you're ready when he does return."

  


"We will be this time, I promise you that. Still, how long do you think we have before the pirates do return?"

  


"It's hard to say really... Could be six months, could be six years. I doubt they'd travel all the way back to their home planet first. The one thing I can guarantee to you though is that he will be back, and in a particularly foul mood."

  


"I see... With any luck maybe it will be a few months before Kashunari shows his face again. Then at least we'd have Gohan back."

  


Shin paused as he noticed the waver in Piccolo's body language, and picked up on a little afterthought stuck in the back of Piccolo's mind. "I'm sorry about your loss Piccolo. I know Gohan was particularly close to you." 

  


Piccolo winced slightly, for a moment forgetting that the Kai could read minds. "Umm, Yes thank you..."

  


Shin smirked reassuringly and continued. "Don't worry about Ryo either, he just needs some time to think and let things sink in. Like he said, he just needed to walk around a little to clear his head. You'll all be okay. If it helps, don't even think of him as dead, just act as if he was on a long six-month vacation from the living world. Not everybody has a round-trip ticket from death and back like Gohan is fortunate enough to have."

  


If he wasn't Piccolo, Piccolo might've laughed at that comment. "I guess you do have a point. I wish I could say that helps, but I guess what Gohan always said was right. Even when you know you can wish a departed friend back from the dead, it's still not easy losing them. Dragon Balls, or no Dragon Balls, this is going to take time to sink in for everybody..."

  


----------

  


Videl found the darkest corner she could find in the building, curled into a ball, and hid. She cried a little bit at first, but not a lot. Crying just wasn't her thing. Instead she found herself thinking a lot, mostly about Gohan, and what they'd been through over whatever the hell amount of time it had been. She spent some of the time asking herself why, and concentrating on the prospect of another six months of living apart form Gohan in separate worlds of their own. The question as to why Gohan was gone was easy to answer at least. It was because Gohan was noble, courageous person who was willing to die to protect his home and his friends, and that's exactly what he did.

"Go away Ryo..." Videl mumbled, her face resting against her arms. She'd heard footsteps approach, and just naturally assumed he'd be the only person who cared enough to bother her. If she'd bothered to pay any attention what so ever she would've noticed the shadow creeping up on her was much too small to go with Ryo's body.

  


"Umm... I'm not Ryo, but do you still want me to go away?"

Videl's head tiled up slightly hoping to put a face with the squeaky little voice that had spoken to her. Already certain who she was going to see, there was little surprise when she saw a somber looking Goten rubbing the back of his head. It was becoming quite obvious that this little trait was dominant among the men in this curious little family. "Goten? What are you up too little guy?"

  


"Umm... Nothing..." Goten murmured, appearing surprised to find Videl where he found her. He seemed to have something on his mind, yet reluctant to speak it. After a brief silence, Goten's mouth opened and he squeaked out. "You're in my spot..."

  


Videl stayed silent for a moment before smiling, a smile that gradually evolved into a soft fit of laughter. "Oh, am I now? Well, you can come over here and join me if you want too, there's plenty of room for two."

  


Goten seemed reluctantly, but after a brief pause nodded his head before taking a seat in her lap. Goten sat quietly for a while, while Videl stroked her hand through his hair comfortingly. A few moments passed, and Goten gradually got over his initial discomfort around Videl at least enough to make a rather obvious observation. "You miss Gohan too huh?"

  


"Yeah, I guess you can say that " Videl chocked.

  


"I cried too when Krillen first told me..." Goten said, having noticed Videl's face was rather moist earlier. Videl's eyes went wide, surprised that Goten was observant enough to notice, especially knowing that Goten wasn't exactly in the running for the future scholars of Japan program.

"Yeah, I guess I did cry a little... There's nothing wrong with crying sometimes when it's over something worth the effort. Just as long as you don't become like one of those people who cries over breaking a nail or getting mud all over a new pair of shoes. Those kind of girls make me sick! They almost make me ashamed to be a woman... Almost mind you." Videl smiled, as she heard Goten chuckle briefly. "I know you're a boy, but you get the picture. This is different though. We're both going to be lonely, but look on the bright side Goten... It's only for six months... It's not like he's gone forever. He'll be back with us before you know it."

  


"That's easy for you to say!" Goten pouted. "You're an adult, so six months isn't a lot of time for you, but for a little kid like me six months is like a billion years!"

  


"You know you do have a point there," Videl snickered. "I think that might apply to girlfriends too..."

  


"But how do we know he'll come back? Gohan told me once that dad could've come back if he'd wanted too, but he decided not too... What've Gohan decides he doesn't want to come back either? Then I might never see him again, and it'll be just me and mom. Then what if something happens to mom? What'll I do then? I won't have anybody..."

  


"I think you're worrying over nothing little guy. Your father decided to stay in Other World because he thought the Earth would be safer if he wasn't in it. I don't believe Gohan has any such convictions, he's got too much to live for... At least he better not decide to stick around, otherwise he's gona have a lot of explaining to do while I'm kicking his butt once I get back over there! If I'm not too old and decrepit to do anything by then." Videl continued to stroke Goten's head, as she got another chuckle out of him. "And in the worst case scenario, if something does happen to your mom, then I doubt you'd have any shortage of friends willing to take you in. There's always your friend Trunks and his mom, Krillen, and I'm sure even Piccolo would find something to do with you if you didn't have any other options. And if worse comes to worst, I guess I could always take care of ya..." 

  


Gohan tilted his head up so that he was looking straight up into Videl's face. "You really mean that?"

  


"Sure do kid " Videl's head tilted upward as she frowned slightly. "Dad always wanted a boy anyhow..."

  


Goten's lips curved upwards mischievously. "You know, you remind me of my mom."

"Oh, and why is that?" Videl smiled curiously.

  


"Because you're usually cranky, loud, and you yell a lot."

  


Videl knew she should probably be offended, but she couldn't help but smile. "Oh really?! And here I am trying to be nice to you! You better watch it little boy, or I might just be cranky and loud next time you try to talk to me."

  


"If you say so," Goten snickered, and lowered his head. "Are you in love with my brother Videl?"

  


Videl blushed, but unlike a few months ago, even maybe weeks before, Videl didn't hesitate for long with her answer. "Yes, I guess I am Goten... That's kind of what makes it so hard for me, just like it's hard for you because Gohan was your brother."

  


Goten appeared content with the answer he received, and followed up with another question that sent Videl reeling. "Are you pregnant?"

  


Videl jumped, nearly bouncing Goten out of her lap. "What, no?! What would ever give you that idea?!"

  


"I don't know, just asking. Mom keeps talking about Grand Kids all the time now since Gohan met you, and I was just wondering."

  


"I should've guessed," Videl sighed, her face beat-red. "Your mom tends to stretch reality out a little farther than what it actually should be if you know what I mean."

  


"Yeah, my mom's goofy," Goten giggled. "Do you throw things when you get mad?"

  


"Sometimes, if I'm really mad... Why?"

  


"My mom does that too," the boy joked.

  


"That's enough Goten."

  


******** 

  


Six months came and went in the blink of an eye, or more accurately put a single push of the spacebar. Even for the people closest to Gohan who feared the long weeks ahead, they were taken by surprise at how quickly the months went by. That didn't make the situation any easier for most, but for a couple of people in particular the numerous days and nights of waiting for this day to come about, had given way to the anxious anticipation over the next few minutes before the dragon was summoned so the wish could be made.

  


"Just calm down Videl, what are you so anxious for anyway?" Ryo asked her, getting on to her for her constant fidgeting over the past hour or so. She'd gotten so bad at one point that Ryo had to pull her aside, and talked her into taking a walk around the block with him to give her something to focus her attention on. 

  


"I'm not nervous!" Videl spat in annoyance. "I'm just getting a little impatient. Where the hell is Krillen with that last Dragon Ball! I knew we should've went after them ourselves! We would've been done hours ago!"

"Yeah right, and let you tare up half the planet looking for them?" Ryo laughed. "No offense Videl, but you're not exactly a paragon of patience ya know? That's why we decided to leave you behind, while Krillen and Piccolo searched for the Dragon Balls. They were worried you'd get anxious, and accidentally blow something up in the process, the Dragon Balls included. If even one of them was destroyed then well, I don't think I'd have to explain to you the ramifications of that."

  


"I'm not that bad!" Videl retorted. "I'm not some hothead who blows stuff every time I get annoyed! Well, there was a couple instances, but it doesn't happen often!"

  


"It happened last Thursday!"

  


"He flipped me off! He shouldn't have been driving on the sidewalk anyway!"

  


"Those are both very good points, but that still wasn't any reason to blow up his car!"

  


"Ah, the way he was driving he would've wrecked it eventually anyway..." Videl sighed, and quickly changed the subject. "I just hate marching around like a zombie, not knowing what's going on! If I was with them I'd at least be partly in control of my own destiny! I'd know what progress we were making, and in the least have a general idea as to how much time I'd have to wait! Not knowing anything just drives me crazy!"

  


"Calm down Videl, take a deep breath," Ryo said, putting his hand on Videl's back as if trying to help her breathe. "I know this is a horribly overused cliche, but you've waited this long so it's not going to kill you to wait a few more minutes."

  


"I know! That doesn't mean I have to like it!" Videl sighed, and looked down at the ground sadly. "Do you think he misses me?"

  


Ryo's eyebrow twitched. That was definitely the stupidest question she'd asked him that day. Still, Ryo smiled, and humored her. "Yes Videl, I'm sure that's a pretty safe assumption. I'm sure Goku's ready to kick him out of Other World himself, Gohan's probably pined and groaned over you so much over the past six months. Now, I know you're not naive enough to believe Gohan isn't going to feel the same way about you coming out of Other Word as he did going in, so what's really bothering you hey girl?"

  


Videl grumbled, before beginning her rant. "I'm just worried about something going wrong that's all... It's almost like fate's doing whatever it possibly can to keep us apart you know? First I spent Kami knows how long in that time chamber thing you drug me too, and than the next thing I knew Gohan's dead for the next six months, and we only had about a 48 hour break in-between. Who knows what might come up! What if Krillen and Piccolo can't find the last Dragon Ball? What if some freak-show from Pluto or whatever, dedicated to making my life miserable, pops up during the summoning or something?! What if..."

  


"Videl! Cut it out, you're being paranoid!" Ryo chuckled.

  
  


"Yeah, so sue me! I think I have the right to be after all the weird crap we've been through the past six months... I won't be able to relax until Gohan's standing right in front of me where I can see him, and know he's really there, so I can put my arms around him before the damn alarm goes off and I wake up!"

  


"You do have a point I guess... You're going to have some interesting stories to tell Gohan about what you've been up too while he's been gone."

  


"I think there's a couple I'd like to leave out..." Videl said, her face beginning to flush slightly. "You know, you've gotten me into a lot more trouble than you're worth! I can say this for sure though, my life hasn't been boring ever since I met you and Gohan And things just seem to get stranger and stranger... While some of the chaos went with you, it has been a bit lonely around here since you moved back to Manco though..."

  


"What are you talking about?! Manco's only a fifteen minute flight from Satan City, and since I moved back home you've seen me almost as much as you did when I lived here!"

  


"Yeah, but it's not the same... I miss seeing you around school, ya know? With Gohan gone too, the only person I really have to talk too is Erasa, and twenty minutes of that a day is about all I can stand!"

  


Ryo's mouth opened to speak, but quickly closed back up as the sky suddenly darkened above him. Both he and Videl froze, and they looked at each other. Knowing full well what this meant, they quickly took off to the spot Yamcha and the others had been guarding the other six Dragon Balls. "What's the big deal, they couldn't wait for us?!" Videl grumbled, as they neared their destination.

  


"Well, you're not the only one without any patience around here you know! Chi-Chi probably threatened to strangle somebody if they didn't wish her baby back right away, or Vegeta probably complained about getting home in time for dinner!"

  
  


By the time they got back, the wish had already been made. Videl froze in her tracks once she saw him, crouched down on one knee hugging his mother with one arm, and holding a jubilant Goten, who was practically strangling his older brother, in the other. Ryo noticed Videl freeze up once she saw him, so he grabbed her by the arm and tried to urge her on. "Come on Videl, this is what you've been waiting for, don't get cold feet now."

  


"Wait a second," Videl said suddenly, and pulled her arm back. Ryo looked back at her curiously, so she just smiled and whispered something into his ear.

"Gah! Let me go Goten!" Gohan laughed, as he eased his brother off his neck and set him down on the ground. "I just got back from the dead you know, you don't want to send me straight back there do ya?!"

  


"He's just a little excited baby that's all," Chi-Chi said before grabbing him by the shoulders, and shaking him none so gently. "Now be honest with me Gohan, are you all right?! They didn't hurt you or anything on the other end did they?! If they did then Kami help me I'll!..."

  


"Mom, mom! It's okay!" Gohan sweat dropped. "It actually wasn't so bad on the other side, and it was fun getting to spend a few months with dad... All I really could do was train, and actually picked up a few interesting tricks here and there. Nothing bad, really mom believe me..." 

  


"Well if you say so..." Chi-chi said, before her expression grew serious. "Now, don't think being dead for six months is going to get you out of your schoolwork mister! You've got months of make-up sitting on your desk when you get home!" 

  


"Mom! Can we please not talk about this here?!... Wait a second, how did you explain that to the school board anyhow?"

  


Sensing Chi-Chi was ready to tare into her son in full view of all his comrades and peers, Piccolo cleared his throat and decided to, most likely unwisely, step in. "Um, excuse me Chi-Chi, but the boy was just wished back from the grave, so this probably isn't the best time to be bringing up homework..."

  


"You stay out of this! I know what's best for my son, and nothing's more important than his education, so but out okay?!"

  


Piccolo staggered back. "Umm... Yes Ma'am."

  


Thankful for getting his mother's attention diverted from him, Gohan shied away a bit. He scanned the crowd and noticed a couple of people in particular who were dubious by their absence. He felt their energy somewhere nearby, there was just no sign of their faces at the moment. One in particular, Gohan was most anxious to see again. He smiled as he did notice one person present he hadn't expected to see. "Hey Vegeta! I'm surprised to see you here."

  


"Well, don't get all gushy on me, this wasn't my idea. They insisted I come!" Vegeta snorted, referring to his wife and son.

  


Bulma rolled her eyes and translated for her husband. "What he means is, welcome back Gohan. Yeah, like we could really make you do anything you didn't want to." Bulma looked at Vegeta who just grunted, and turned his head away.

  


"Well, that's pretty much what wives do best now isn't it?" Krillen joked, which earned him a slap on the back of his head from Eighteen. "Ouch! I was just kidding?! You better be careful with Videl Gohan, or before you know it, this might be what you have to put up with for the rest of your life!"

  


Eighteen's mouth curled threateningly. "Do you want to sleep outside with the turtle again?"

  


"No hun..."

  


Gohan smiled, and looked forward with anxious eyes. "Speaking of Videl where in the world is..."

  


Gohan's self asked question was interrupted when a male voice caught his ear. "Hey Gohan! You look pretty good for someone who just crawled out of their grave! You know technically, this makes you a zombie."

  


"Ryo, there you are!" Gohan smiled as he turned towards the sound of the voice. "I was wondering where you had gotten off to... I Umma..."

  


Gohan's tongue failed him as a smaller more slender image emerged from behind Ryo's back. With her back turned towards Gohan at first, she slowly turned around reveling a shy smile and a crimson mess of a face. Gohan froze and began to fluster himself, the two of them staring at each other stupidly for a moment. Eventually, the pair began to walk towards the other slowly, before Videl finally decided to hell with it and ran the rest of the way, jumping into his arms as she reached him. They embraced each other warmly for a moment before Gohan pushed her back just enough to meet his lips to hers. She was a bit surprised at first that he'd kiss her in public with all his family and friends looking on, but didn't complain as she happily returned the gentle sign of affection. They ignored all the whooping and hollering going on around them which included Yamcha, Ryo and Krillen cracking jokes about oxygen and vacuum cleaners, Goten and Trunks making gagging noises, Vegeta asking Bulma it they could go home now, and the silent contemplation of a bewildered Piccolo who wondered why two human beings putting their lips together could cause such a fuss. He'd never understand humans.

  


"Well hello..." Videl grinned, after his lips parted for hers. "I take it you missed me?"

  


"You have no idea..." Gohan said, staring straight into her eyes. Just when they looked ready to give the other's a sequel, the tender little scene was interrupted by a loud scratchy voice overhead. Everyone looked up to see a rather irritated looking dragon still hovering overheard. How anybody could've possibly forgotten about the giant magical dragon hanging over your head is beyond comprehension, but somehow this particular group managed to do it.

  


"Excuse me, though this little scene is rather touching, I'm beginning to grow impatient! Make your second wish now!"

  


"Hey, that's right! I completely forget we still had a second wish coming!" Krillen yelped, and quickly began thinking of a way to utilize the second wish.

  


"Has anyone even given any thought to how to use the second wish?" Yamcha asked, and received no immediate answers. Except for one that was...

"I've got a pretty good idea what we can use it for," Ryo announced as he walked into the center of the group directly underneath the dragon, and looked down at his watch. "The thing is, it won't do us any good to make the wish for another ninety seconds or so... So, Shenron, would you mind waiting another minute or so to grant our wish?"

  


The Dragon growled, then mumbled. "Fine... But not a second more!"

  


"Hold on a second Ryo... What exactly are you suggesting we use the second wish for?" Gohan asked him.

  


"I'm glad you asked that Gohan... Remember back to your fight with Buu. Do you remember launching a Kamehameha wave that was off target, and drifted off into space?"

  


"Well, yeah... But what does that have to do with anything?"

  


"Watch and learn my friend." Ryo pulled out a set of sunglasses, and put them on. This confused the rest of the group, seeing as how it was nine o'clock and pitch black outside. He then pointed up to a particular section of sky. "I had a vision about this a few weeks back. Now everyone look up there, and counting five, four, three, two, one."

  


Everyone had their eyes fixed on the sky above wondering if Ryo had lost his mind, when suddenly the night was illuminated by a huge explosion as it ripped through the night sky hundreds of thousands of miles away. The Z-crew were forced to shield their eyes from the blinding light that briefly lit up the night sky, all except for Ryo who was wearing his trusty set of shades. It was over mere seconds later, leaving most of the group wondering what on Earth was going on.

  


"What the hell was that?!" Videl shouted. "Did a star super nova or something?"

  


"Not exactly..." Ryo began to explain. "You see, that energy blast Gohan shot off into space, has been hurdling through the cosmos like a comet for the last six months. Let's just say it kind of sort of just smacked right into Mars."

  


Gohan sweat dropped. "Uh... Oops..."

  


Vegeta smirked, and grunted. "And that blast took six months to get there? Now I know you're getting soft brat."

  


"Way to go Gohan," Krillen snickered. "You just reduced the number of planets in this solar system to eight. I find that kind of ironic seeing as how destroying planets is what we were supposed to stop Buu from doing!"

  


"Well, look on the bright side Gohan," Videl teased. "At least you destroyed a planet that wasn't inhabited by life... Unless you count that microorganism crap all those biologists have been spouting about."

  


"Come on guys, it's not like I did it on purpose or anything! My aim was just a little off..." Gohan mumbled, before turning towards the eternal dragon. "Umm... Excuse me Shenron, but if you don't mind could you please restore the planet I just accidentally destroyed? I don't really want to be responsible for knocking the balance of the cosmos out of whack or anything."

  


The Dragon fell silent for a moment, before his voice boomed. "So be it... Your wish has been fulfilled."

  


Without so much as saying good-bye, Shenron's physical form dispersed leaving those who summoned him to watch in awe as several round orbs quickly dispersed, flying off to all corners of the world. Shortly after the dragon balls dispersed, the Z-crew did the same parting ways until only Videl, Bulma, and Gohan's family remained. The only reason Bulma was even still present was because she was supposed to be giving Chi-Chi and her boys a ride home, but from the looks of things it seemed as if those plans were changing slightly at least.

"Gohan, are you coming or what?!" His mother called, as Bulma and Goten boarded the airbus behind her. "Everyone's ready to go!"

  


"You guys go on ahead mom! I'll catch up with you later!"

  


Chi-Chi glared at him disapprovingly at first, but after thinking on the matter a moment or so decided it probably wouldn't hurt to let him stay out for a while. It had been six months after all, and she could understand that Gohan would be anxious to spend some time with his little girl friend. "Oh, alright, but don't stay out too late! And you two behave yourselves you got me?!"

  


"Well will mom," Gohan half sighed, as he turned his attention to Videl. He was a little relived once he saw the Airbus take off and leave the area without his mother popping her head out the window yelling she'd changed her mind, or other various and embarrassing things not to do while he was alone with Videl. 

  


Videl smirked, and took Gohan's hand as they began their walk with now preplanned destination or route in mind. "Remember, you're the one who promised to be good, I didn't."

  


"Oh, is that so? And what exactly is that devious little mind of yours conceiving anyhow?"

  


"That's for me to know, and you to worry about until it happens," Videl smirked, as she put her free hand behind her head. "So, what was it like being dead anyway? I wasn't really over there long enough to get any kind of feel for it."

  


"Ah, it wasn't so bad," Gohan replied. "The only thing we really had to do in other world was train and eat It could tend to get a little repetitive at times, but at least I got to spend time with my dad He taught me a few interesting new tricks to boot So, how have you been holding up these past six months?"

  


"I've managed I can say one thing for sure though, since you've been gone my life definitely hasn't been dull."

  


"Oh I see... So, all this time I've been in other world, you've been off having fun haven't you?"

  


"I didn't say I was having fun," Videl corrected him. "I'm just saying that my life hasn't been boring Maybe I'll tell you about it later."

  


"Why don't you tell me right now, we've got time," Gohan countered.

  


"But I don't feel like talking about the past right now Gohan hun.." Videl came to a stop, and poked the button of his nose with the tip of her finger. "All I'm worried about is right now."

  


Gohan stood still as Videl's face came closer to his, just a mere inch or so apart. Interpreting this as an invitation, Gohan leaned forward to cover the inch or so gap still between in hopes of capturing her lips, when Videl's head pulled back sharply. All he got to kiss was the palm of her hand, and watched as each of her fingers folded across her palm until only one was protruding outward, waving in front of his face taunting him. "Whoa, ease up there lover boy. You've gotta earn that right first."

  


Slightly flustered, Gohan smirked and complained. "Why, you little tease. What do you mean by me having to earn it? What exactly do you expect me to do?"

  


"Why that's simple my dear Gohan," Videl said, and gave him a wink. "All you've gotta do is catch me..."

  


"Catch you?" Gohan chuckled, his hands on his hips. Amused, he watched as Videl turned her back to him and began walking away slowly. Gohan took one step forward before Videl chuckled and went into an all out sprint. Gohan started off after her, but Videl hadn't taken more than ten steps before launching herself in the air and taking off. 

  


"Hey! So, that's the way you want to play it huh?!" Gohan snickered, before taking off after her. "You know there's no way you can out-run me don't you Videl?!"

  


"I know," Videl laughed. Though she knew even if she flew at top speed she'd never be able to out run Gohan, but in the least she expected him to humor her a little and drag the chase on for a while. That was far from what happened however. It hadn't been five seconds when she felt a gush of wind wash over her, right before Gohan appeared in front of her seemingly materializing out of thin air. With no time to stop, Videl crashed right into Gohan who immediately ensnared her in his arms as she shrieked in surprise. Videl tried to frown playfully, but it came out more of a smirk than an grimace. "Hey, no fair! That's cheating!"

  


"I know." A smug grin crossed his lips, before he pressed them into Videl's. She complained about as much as a Lion does about the lack of roughage at a Zebra buffet, and let herself melt into Gohan's arms. She did, however, force herself to stay aware just enough to notice that Gohan's grip on her had slipped substantially. It took her about twenty seconds before she could finally bring herself to break the kiss, as she pushed him away, and quickly weaseled her way out of his arms before flying away giggling. "Hey!"

  


"Oh, what's the matter Gohan? You miss me already?" Videl teased before sticking her tongue out at him, and flying away. Gohan didn't give chase right away, and this time around he would actually play her little game. This left him scratching his head for sure. When he first met her well over a year ago, he never in a million years would've pictured her acting like this, not even several months after they became friends. He was probably one of the few people to ever get the chance to see her like this, and he was proud to be one of the few that ever would. Little did Gohan know that he himself, and the way that he was, was a big reason that she could show the different sides of her personality such as this. She could do things and act certain ways around him that she couldn't with anybody else, and quite honestly she might never have if she hadn't of met him. That was one of the reasons she felt so close to him, and one of the things that would continue to pull them closer for years to come. In a way, the same could be said for Gohan as well 

  


"I always will whenever I'm not holding you..." Gohan said softly to himself, Videl well out of earshot. He'd have to remember to use that particular line on her later. For no reason in particular, Gohan looked off into space as if acknowledging the presence of some unseen eyes watching him, reading his every move. He gave a little wave in the general direction in a bid of farewell, before taking off after Videl. "Sorry guys, but it has been six months ya know, and we could use a little privacy. You understand. Well, see you next time!"

End. 

  
  


Yeah, yeah, maybe six months was a bit of a stretch to make it to Mars, but I couldn't resist. I'd like to personally thank everybody who's taken the time to read and review this story over the past year, especially my regular reviewers. I thought about dropping some names, but I knew if I did that I'm sure I'd forget someone so... Ah, you guys know who you are anyway. You guys literally kept this story going. I might've quit months ago if this story wasn't getting so much attention. You know I write this junk for fun, but I go through the painstaking process of editing, posting, and downloading all this crap for you guys.

I do eventually want to develop some sort of sequel dealing with the Kashunari angle, but to avoid teasing anyone I'm not going to make any promises. I just don't have any good ideas to sustain a decent story right now, and part of that is because honestly I'm just not really interested enough to force anything for the time being. Hopefully, that'll change once I come up with a decent plot, but right now I've got a couple other projects I really want to focus my attention on. I originally thought about tying my next story in with this to continue the story on forward, but after thinking about it I realized the stories simply differed too much and I'm not even sure if the majority of the story will be DBZ centered. Then again, I still might do that anyway, I'm not really sure yet. Well, I guess I can run my ideas by you, so you folks can decide if you're interested. 

  


I know for a fact that my next work is going to be a bit of what I guess you might call an alternate reality fic, based in a mid-evil time setting. I've read a couple stories like this scattered around the other anime forums, and I've been wanting to do one of my one for a long time now. Curiously, I don't believe I've seen any DBZ fics of this nature. It won't merely contain DBZ elements, but elements from several other anime legends as well. Don't let that scare you away already! I promise it's not going to be like the ordinary corny cross-over story you normally encounter in the fanfiction kingdom, where the characters from show A and show B bump into each other crossing the street for no apparent reason whatsoever, with no real plot in sight. Not that they're all bad, I know there's a few decent one's out there, but I believe I've actually found a decent way for all the various characters to met and interact without further warring out the usual overused plot-lines. As far as I know, nothing quite exactly like this has been done before, and in my everlasting quest to try something different decided to run with this. The best part about it from a readers standpoint, in my humble opinion anyway, is that you don't really have to be a fan or even know jack about a particular anime or two to understand what's going on, seeing as things will be set in an alternate universe setting where most everything and everyone will have to be reintroduced anyway.

Okay, time to get to the point. Basically I'm still trying to decide between two different ways to attack this. One of course would be the DBZ version I guess you could call it, which would sort of continue shortly after where S.D.D.C.T. left off. Basically, the Z-crew are having at little get together in the woods in back of the Son home, when Kashunari and company return to Earth and crash the party. Somewhere during the ensuing battle Kashunari's forces manage to steal away nearly 99% of his original strength, leaving Gohan basically as strong as his father was at the beginning of the original Dragon Ball series. Meanwhile, in a universe completely separate for that of Earth's, a vicious war is being wagged between a once mighty kingdom and a vicious horde of demon's dedicated to conquering their planet, and enslaving what's left of their race. With some knowledge of inter-dimensional travel the young Princess of the endangered remembers hearing stories of a mythical hero in the Earth universe who is said to have defeated two horrific monsters that were supposedly capable of destroying the entire universe. Using the power of a magic crystal handed down in her family for generations, the princess attempts to summon this hero into her dimension in hopes that he could help defeat these beasts that threaten her kingdom. Normally, Gohan would've been happy to help, but of course the princess is completely unaware that Gohan's suffered a recent setback Basically from there, Gohan goes on a quest to find a way to get his strength back, and at least try to help the endangered kingdom out along the way. Oddly enough, he runs in to a few rather familiar faces with very familiar names on his travels, and some interesting new ones. 

  


Well, that's the idea I've been kicking around the past two weeks or so, but I'm not sure if it's the best way to go. For one, dimension hopping in fan fiction has always been a pet peeve of mind, so I'm not wild about the idea of including it in one of my own stories. Plus, besides Gohan being the main character, I don't believe the story would be DBZ centered enough to classify DBZ as the story genre. With this in mind, I might go with my original plan and center the story completely in the alternate universe setting, and come up with something different for the continuation of 'Dreams'. With that in mind, I'd be forced to classify the fic in another more appropriate genre, but the DBZ characters will still play a major role in the plot. (Guess which two in particular) I'm not sure exactly which way I'm going to go yet... I'll probably start off writing the beginning both ways, and see which looks better as it goes. Hell, if you have an opinion, feel free to tell me about it. You're opinions do something to me. You might just manage to sway me. Either way, I think you guys will like it if you give it a shot, especially if you liked Some Dreams Do Come True. The story flow will basically be the same, and I'm taking steps to improve my mood setting and description along with ironing out those few little grammar kinks I still leave here and there. I know it's never going to be perfect, but try to take it easy on me. This story was well over 500 pages long, and I edited every last word of it myself. It is not a fun task, trust me. Besides, I have an excuse. I'm from Tennessee, English is a second language down here. I should begin posting sometime next month if I ever decide exactly what I want to do. If your interested at all, just check my profile every once in a while. It'll pop up eventually. 

Until then, so long for now everybody. Thanks for reading!

Boombubble!

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



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